Like most people, I hate to see food go to waste. I cringe as I watch my kale shriveling up, and feel great pangs of guilt as I toss the forgotten Tupperware of pasta into the trash. I try to goad my husband into eating things for lunch that are well past their prime, heralding virtues of convenience, and I have once or twice (okay, three times) been known to give my dogs stale crostini topped with tired pâté.

The makings of the deliciousness.
Not this week though. No, this week I was eying the bananas on my counter, daring them to turn brown, so I could make a cake, the idea for which I had come up with while tossing and turning the other night.
When asked what I should call it, one of my co-workers mumbled through a mouthful, “This is f*cking delicious! Call it that! F*cking Delicious Cake!”
She later modified her suggestion to Bucket List Cake, which I think works quite nicely…because if you’re only ever going to make five cakes in your life, this should definitely be one of them. Sinfully delicious, but not cloyingly sweet, and balanced with a perfect amount of moistness this is one for the ages, folks. It takes just 5 minutes to assemble, although the feelings of superiority of using up those wilting bananas will last for days.
Bucket List Banana Split Chocolate Chip Cake
Adapted from Savory Sweet Life

Bucket List Banana Split Chocolate Chip Cake…perfect warm out of the oven with a glass of red wine.
- 1 stick butter, softened
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 egg
- 3 large ripened bananas
- 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt (I think this was the secret ingredient…I used Chobani’s new Chocolate Chunk yogurt…holy hell it was good)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 TB cocoa powder
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips (milk or semi-sweet pending on your preference)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Lightly grease a 9×5 loaf pan. Muffin tins also work nicely if you want more of a cupcake result.
- In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Add in egg, bananas, yogurt, and vanilla until well blended.
- Add flour, baking soda, salt, and cocoa.
- Mix everything until well incorporated (about 3 minutes).
- Add chocolate chips and nuts and stir until just combined (you don’t want to crush the nuts too finely)
- Pour batter into pan(s) and bake for 50 minutes – 1 hr.
- Insert a tooth pick into the center of the cake and check to see if it comes out clean when you pull it out.
- Remove from heat and allow cake to rest in the loaf pan for 10 minutes.
- Invert the pan(s) onto a cooling rack. Enjoy warm or cold. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or a glass of red wine.