For those with a cholesterol deficiency!

PEANUT BUTTER, BANANA, AND CHOCOLATE CAKE



For the Cake
110g (4oz) luxury Continental Belgian dark chocolate (75per cent cocoa solids)
1 x 227g jar Whole Earth organic crunchy peanut butter
250g (9oz) unsalted butter, softened
500g (1lb 2oz) light muscovado sugar
5 large eggs
120ml (4fl oz) milk
225g (8oz) plain flour
2 rounded teaspoons baking powder
1 x 125g pack dried banana chips, roughly chopped or 100g chopped banana
Salt

For the Icing
25g (1 oz) unsalted butter
2 as-they-come tablespoons smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons pure Canadian maple syrup
175g (6 oz) luxury Continental Belgian dark chocolate (75 per cent cocoa solids)

You will also need
A well-buttered ring tin, such as a kugelhopf or savarin tin, with a capacity of at least 2.6 litres (4 ½ pints), or measuring 23cm (9 in) in diameter and 9cm (3½in) deep.

It is easiest to make this cake in a food mixer or processor.



Start by making the cake. Preheat the oven to 170'C, 325"F, gas mark 3. Break up the chocolate into small pieces and melt it in a bain-marie, a bowl suspended over barely simmering water or in the microwave. Meanwhile, beat the peanut butter, butter and sugar in a food mixer for about 3 minutes, until light and fluffy.
In a jug, whisk the eggs with the milk until thoroughly combined, then sift the flour, baking powder and ½ a level teaspoon of salt into a bowl and mix until thoroughly combined.
Now, with the machine running, add about a quarter of the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture.
Once it is incorporated, pour in about a quarter of the egg mixture.
After 10 seconds, add more egg and milk, and continue alternating flour and egg mixture until you have used them up. The finished batter should be thick , soft and floppy.
Transfer about half the cake batter into another bowl. Now, stir the dried banana chips or sliced banana(if using) into one bowl of the cake batter, and the melted chocolate into the other, making sure that the chocolate is mixed in well. Using a very large spoon, dollop alternate mounds of banana cake mixture and chocolate cake mixture into the tin, then drag a skewer or knife lightly through the whole cake to create a marbled effect when the cake is cut. Put the cake tin on the bottom shelf of the oven and bake for 30 minutes, then cover the cake with a piece of baking parchment and continue to cook for a further 30-40 minutes, or until the cake is risen but firm and springy when you press it. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it in the tin for 15 minutes, before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the icing, melt the ingredients with 1-2 tablespoons of hot water in a small pan over a very low heat, and whisk until smooth.
Cool, until it is barely liquid, then pour it over the cake, using a palette knife to help spread the icing evenly.
Leave the cake in a cool place, but not the fridge, until the icing has set.
This cake should be eaten immediately with lots of other people, but will keep for several days in an airtight container.