Banana Bundt Cake

Dusting the pan with a little flour or ground hazelnuts helps when turning the cake out.

Egg whites whip best when the bowl and beaters are completely grease-free.

The mixture is properly airy when it becomes noticeably lighter in color and increases in volume.

Stir each yolk in briefly to prevent the mixture from splitting.

The riper the banana, the more flavourful and moist the bundt will be.

Coating the chocolate and nuts with the flour helps prevent them from sinking while baking.

Stir only briefly to keep the cake tender, not tough.

Use a spatula and fold in large movements to keep the batter especially light.

Tap the pan lightly on the work surface a few times to release large air bubbles.

Do the toothpick test near the end; if the bundt browns too much, loosely cover with foil.

This allows the cake to settle and usually makes it easier to release from the pan.

Let it cool completely before decorating so glaze or powdered sugar doesn't melt.

Powdered sugar is classic; for extra chocolate flavour, use a chocolate glaze made from melted milk chocolate.