Adapted from UBC’s website. I used to love grabbing a piece of Ponderosa cake on my way between classes when I was doing my undergrad at UBC. The story goes that this marriage between chocolate chip banana bread and coffee cake was invented due to a banana surplus on campus and the instant hit was named after the food services building where they were made.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Earth Balance
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3-4 bananas, overripe and mashed
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup vegan sour cream or yogurt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Yield: approx. 15 large squares

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream together butter and sugar. Add beaten eggs and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and bananas; mix until smooth.

In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add to banana mixture alternately with sour cream, ending with dry ingredients. Pour half the batter into greased 9×13-inch (22x32cm) pan.

Combine cinnamon and brown sugar in a separate bowl. Sprinkle half of this mixture over the batter in the pan. Spread the remaining batter over the cinnamon sugar and sprinkle with the chocolate chips. Lastly, sprinkle the top with the remaining cinnamon sugar.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before slicing into large squares. NB: For an extra decadent slice, sprinkle another 1/2 cup of chocolate chips in the middle layer after the cinnamon sugar and before spreading the remaining batter.