Thomas' Special Favorite Cake

Somewhere between banana bread and coffee cake, this recipe found its sweet spot and never left.

Ripe bananas and a full pint of sour cream make the crumb impossibly moist, while butter and sugar give it that tender, cakey structure that holds up to a generous filling.

And what a filling: brown sugar, cinnamon, chopped walnuts, and chocolate chips layered through the middle and scattered across the top.

Every slice has ribbons of melted chocolate and crunchy nuts running through soft, banana-scented cake. It’s the kind of thing that disappears from the kitchen counter before it fully cools.

Chef Tips

• Use the ripest bananas you can find. Brown-spotted and soft is what you want. The riper they are, the sweeter and more fragrant the cake.
• Don’t overmix after adding flour. Blend until just combined. Overworking the batter makes the cake tough instead of tender.
• Layer the filling evenly. Half the batter, half the filling, then repeat. Use a knife to gently swirl if you want that marbled look when sliced.
• Test with a toothpick. Every oven is different. Start checking at 40 minutes. The center should come out with just a few moist crumbs clinging to the pick.