Whipped Banana Monkey Cake

Prep and Cook

• Preheat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter an 8” round baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust the inside of the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside.
• Place the bananas in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until completely pureed. Add the yogurt and vanilla and blend to combine. Set aside.
• With an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at time, and mix well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, beating until combined each time. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the banana mixture, being careful not to over-mix.
• Remove one cup of the batter from the bowl and set aside. Pour the remaining batter into the prepared pan. Bake, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes.
• Remove cake from the oven and allow it to cool for a minimum of 20 minutes. Invert the cake onto a cooling rack and remove the parchment paper from the bottom.
• While the cake is cooling, grease two muffin cups in a regular-size muffin tin and divide the reserved batter between them (you don’t need liners). Bake for 15 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and cupcakes are cooked through. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before removing from pan.
• To assemble: place the cake bottom-side up on a cake stand or board. Slice off ⅓ of each cupcake (vertically), and discard (or eat if desired). Press the cut side of the cupcake into each side of the cake to create the monkey ears. Secure the cupcakes to the cake with the toothpicks, inserting them in the top, bottom and middle of the cupcakes.
• Frost the entire cake as well as around the cupcakes with the chocolate icing, making it as smooth as possible.
• Tint the vanilla frosting with the yellow gel-paste food colouring. Fill a disposable piping bag fitted with a large round tip with the icing, and pipe a rounded oval over each ear. Press down in the centre with fingertip to create an impression.
• Pipe the shape of a monkey face over the top of the cake, leaving a 1” border between the face and the edge of the cake. Fill in the piped area with the yellow frosting and smooth it with a palette or butter knife.
• Place some of the chocolate icing in another piping bag fitted with a medium-sized round tip. Pipe on the eyes, nose and mouth of the monkey face.