Caramelized Banana Bundtlettes with Salted Caramel Chocolate Sauce

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/ 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup granulated sugar (baking sugar is best)
• 2/ 3 cup brown sugar, densely packed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 4 over-ripened bananas, mashed to make 1 1/2 cups
• 1 cup whole milk plain Greek Yogurt or full-fat buttermilk

Salted Caramel Chocolate Sauce:

• 1/ 2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/ 4 cup half & half or heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/ 2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate chopped
• large flake sea salt

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 F with oven rack in center of oven.  Prepare your Geo Bundt pan by using a pastry brush and melted butter, ensuring that you reach inside every crevice of the pan. Dust with flour. Alternately, use a baking spray that contains flour, and brush excess with a pastry brush to evenly coat the pan.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Working with a stand mixer, cream butter for 2 minutes until light colored. Add the sugars and beat until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla bean paste, and eggs, mixing for an additional 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer to its lowest speed and add mashed bananas. Add half of flour mixture, then yogurt/buttermilk, and finally the last of the flour mixture. Spoon the batter into your Geo Bundtlette cavities, then tap the pan firmly several times on a cutting board or counter top to release bubbles from the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into each cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack. Makes 12 cakelets.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Sauce:

Combine brown sugar, cream, and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, for 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and stir to combine. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then stir to combine melted chocolate with caramel sauce. Before serving, pour warm sauce over each cake, then sprinkle with large flake salt crystals.