Cinnamon Banana Snack Cake

I like bananas, really I do. The long slim fruit that pack a punch of potassium.

I like them best sliced in a bowl of cereal or just by them selves.
But I have a dirty little secret.

Shh! Come closer and I'll tell!

I don't care for them all that much when they turn black and mushy. When it's time to turn them into beautiful baked goods, they don't tease my taste buds.

They don't bark at me to bake. They just don't do much for me.
Banana baked goods are just...

OK.

I actually prefer them to be a secondary flavor. Mix in some chocolate chips, or coconut, or in this case some cinnamon and then were talking.

I knew the minute that I saw Marie's post on her Banana Cinnamon Chip Cake that I was making it. And believe it or not, I just happened to have three black mushy bananas sitting on my table. I saw her post first thing in the morning and I had this delicious snack cake baked by that afternoon. It was the easiest cake to throw together. And look at that crispy, crunchy topping! I even went and bought more bananas that evening in anticipation of watching them
become black and mushy.

I want to hear them bark at me!

This lovely little cake has no butter or oil. I used half Splenda to replace some of the sugar and I used whole wheat flour. I'm willing to bet it's a bit more hearty then the original recipe. But this way I can have my cake and eat it too! And my taste testers agree.

It's a winner!!!

This cinnamon banana snack cake barks at me! It teases my taste buds.

Cinnamon Banana Snack Cake
3 very ripe bananas
2 large eggs
1½ cups whole-wheat flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 Splenda
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips
For topping:
3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Butter or spray an 8-inch square pan.In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas well with a fork or potato masher. Add the eggs, and stir well to combine. Add the flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, and vanilla, and stir to mix. Add ¾ cup of the cinnamon chips, and stir briefly. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and set aside.In a small bowl, stir together the topping ingredients. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the batter in the pan, and top with the remaining ¼ cup chips.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for at least 15 minutes before serving.