Banana Chocolate Chip Cake w/ Mocha Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I was commissioned to make up a cake for a surprise party.
She likes chocolate, banana bread, and mocha.
Easy enough.
But baking for 40 people is no joke.
I was baking, literally, all day.
But it was worth it.
This cake was awesome. And I don't like cake.

BANANA CHOCOLATE CHIP CAKE
(makes 2 thin cake layers)
- 1 stick sweet cream butter
- 1 c sugar
- 3 eggs, separated
- 1 c mashed ripe banana
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 2 c flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 c buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 c dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 35o, grease and flour cake pans. Cream butter and sugar and then beat in the egg yolks, then the mashed banana and the cinnamon until well mixed. This will infuse the banana flavor all through the cake. In a separate bowl, sift and whisk together all dry ingredients, then add to the wet mixture and stir gently until all mixed. Beat the egg whites until soft peaks form and then fold them into the batter, then toss the chocolate chips with a tablespoon of flour and mix them in as well. Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until the toothpick trick comes out clean, and let the cakes cool for 10 minutes before you removing them from the pans and leaving to cool completely before icing.

...and speaking of icing:

Mocha Whipped CreamCheese Icing
- 1 pckg cream cheese, softened
- 1 1/2 c whipping cream
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder
- 1 to 2 c powdered sugar

Beat whipping cream on high till stiff peaks form. In another bowl beat cream cheese and then add the cocoa and coffee powders, mix well, and then beat in the sugar. Finally, gently fold in the whipped cream, cover with plastic wrap, and allow to set for at least 2 hours in the fridge before using.

* extra frosting can be frozen and scooped out like ice cream for those of you who want to take that brave and delicious, but diabetes inducing step. i did. no regrets. no re grets ;)