Not going to lie, sharing this samoa cookie inspired banana bundt cake might be one of my proudest baking moments yet.

It has all the components of my ALL TIME FAVORITE Girl Scout Cookie – THE SAMOA – aka it is filled with chocolate, caramel and toasty coconut flakes. YUM.

Girl Scout cookie season is just the best, am I right? The only problem I see in it is the fact that there is an eventual end to it. Ya know, after all the girls have schemed their parents into making their co-workers buy more cookies than one person needs. When the stands stop appearing outside your local grocery store. Or Metro stop if you’re in DC.

That’s where this loaf comes in. Because guess what? You can have this All. Year. Round. And don’t lie to yourself (and me) with, “But Blaire, haven’t you ever tried frozen Thin Mints [or insert any cookie here]? I keep mine in the freezer to have them year round!”

Yes. I have. And just because they’re “hidden” in the freezer doesn’t mean they’ll last any longer. At least that’s how it works in my kitchen.

I have had my fair share of Girl Scout cookies, both as a seller and consumer. That being said, this Samoa inspired bundt was so fun to whip together because it brought back some memories of being in good ole Troop 425.

(yes, I still remember the troop number).

My Mom was the Troop Leader and although this may be biased, she was the best damn Troop Leader out there. We went camping as second graders (when the other troops weren’t allowed to go) since my sister was a year older and my Mom somehow got us to piggy back their trip. We baked brownies in the woods using a cardboard box and foil…something I’m going to see if she still knows how to do haha. We hiked a ton. And most importantly, we sold a lot of freakin’ cookies.

Looking back, I laugh at the competitiveness between my sister and I as we sold to parents co-workers and neighbors and family (read: our parents pressured them into buying like I mentioned before). But year after year, before we turned our order sheets in, it was a “thing” that we had to have the same number of boxes sold. My poor parents.

Okay, okay. Back to the bundt cake.

Obviously it has the key components of chocolate, caramel and coconut. But the banana adds a whole new dimension, specifically in texture. After making (and simultaneously falling in love with) this chunky monkey banana loaf, I knew I had to get more banana bread recipes under my belt.

The extra chocolate drizzle on top of this bundt is 100% necessary. Even when it is already studded with A LOT of chocolate chips. In this case, overdoing it and having too much of a good thing doesn’t apply. You can always have more chocolate.

But then, the signature “samoa” look comes out when you finish off the bundt with extra toasted coconut. Ready to dig in?

I sure am.

Samoa Inspired Banana Bundt Cake

Author: MissFingerFoodie.com
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40-15 minutes
Total Time: 55-60 minutes
Yield: 1 Bundt (9.5 inch pan)
Category: Baked goods; breakfast

Print Recipe

Description

All the flavor of a Samoa (ya know, the chocolate, caramelly, coconutty goodness that is arguably THE best Girl Scout cookie) packed into a banana bundt cake. Yup. We went there.

Ingredients

Caramel Topping

1 stick unsalted butter
1 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Bundt Batter

2 1/2 cup Unbleached all purpose flour
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup Crisco Shortening
3/4 cup tightly packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 cup mashed overripe banana, about 4 medium bananas
1 cup lite canned coconut milk
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, tossed in 1 tablespoon of all purpose flour (helps prevent the chips from sinking down to the bottom of the batter)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
A pinch of sea salt
An additional 1/4 cup chocolate chips, to be placed over the caramel before putting the batter in the pan

Finishing Touches

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted

Instructions

Read all the instructions through first (including ingredient list)! This seems like a lot of ingredients, but that’s just because it is separated out into different sections. For example, notice how there is toasted coconut in ALL THREE LAYERS? Well, do yourself a favor and toast it all up at once so you’re not pulling out the coconut 17 times. Same goes for the chocolate. Know how much goes into the ENTIRE cake, and have those measurements separated out. Apply this to any recipe you read and I PROMISE it’ll make your life easier. Pinky promise.

Prep

Preheat oven to 350.

Toast all of the coconut (1 and 1/4 cup total) in a small saute pan over medium heat for 2-3 minutes, constantly moving the coconut shreds around to ensure for even coloring. Remove from the heat once it is lightly browned.

Make the caramel topping – In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar and melt together until the sugar is almost dissolved. Stir in 1/2 cup of toasted coconut and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine 1 TBSP flour with 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Set aside.

Mix the Batter

In a large bowl, combine the butter, crisco, and brown sugar and mix with an electric mixer (I just use a handheld, I don’t have a KitchenAid JUST YET haha) until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in one egg at a time and mix just until combined.

Next, add in the mashed bananas, coconut milk and vanilla. At this point, set the electric mixer aside and gently stir these ingredients in using a rubber spatula. Once combined, add in the flour, sea salt and baking soda a little at a time. Finally, add in the flour coated chocolate chips and 1/2 cup of the toasted coconut. Stir until combined.

Grease a 9.5 inch bundt pan REALLY WELL with cooking spray (I used a coconut oil cooking spray for extra coconut flavor). Take the coconut/caramel mixture (which had hardened a little by now), and spread it evenly on the bottom of the pan.

Next, sprinkle 1/4 cup chocolate chips on top of the caramel. Then, evenly pour the batter on top of that.

Bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes, or until a sharp knife comes out clean.

Once done cooking, be sure to turn out the bundt while the caramel is still hot to prevent it from sticking. I gave it about 5 minutes to rest before turning it out.

While waiting for the cake to cool, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in a bowl at 30 second increments in the microwave until smooth, mixing after each increment. Drizzle the done bundt with the chocolate, then top with more toasted coconut.

ENJOY!

Keywords: Samoa Banana Bundt Cake