January 28, 2023
The question is . . . what do you do with all those brown bananas in your kitchen? I’ve made several things with very brown and speckled bananas that appear on this blog: Banana Bread Cobbler, Banana Everything Cookies, Banana Blueberry Loaf Cake. They are all very delicious. But . . . what if you get a hankering for chocolate AND you have bananas lying around your kitchen? Well I‘ve got an answer.
This loaf cake is quick and easy. It’s almost a 1 bowl cake. Really a 2 bowl cake. Actually a 3 bowl cake if you count the bowl you used to mash up the bananas. You really only need that 2nd bowl because you have to whisk the dry ingredients so you smush the lumps out of the cocoa. It’s sure better than sifting! No one wants to sift!
The cocoa coupled with the chocolate chips gives this cake a double chocolate punch and the bananas keep it moist. (I hate that word, moist). The use of oil makes it easy to mix up and the sour cream can be substituted. Creme fraiche or full fat yogurt will work in its place. It’s a perfect afternoon snack or a breakfast treat.
Quick Double Chocolate Banana Loaf Cake
Adapted from Snackable Bakes by Jessie Sheehan
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup sour cream (or creme fraiche or full fat yogurt)
1 1 cup mashed, very ripe bananas (about 2)
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper that extends up and over the two long sides of the pan.
In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Put them to the side.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Mix in the chocolate chips.
In a large bowl whisk together the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Whisk in the egg, the sour cream, and last but not least, the mashed bananas.
Next, add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, folding the flour mixture in slowly with a flexible spatula. DO NOT OVER-MIX! Just make sure the two are incorporated. Then stop.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan and even out the top. Place in the oven for 70-75 minutes. When a skewer is inserted into the center of the cake it should come out almost clean, but with a few crumbs clinging to it.
Let the cake cool on a metal cooling rack for 20 minutes before lifting it out of the pan. After you take it out of the pan, continue to let it cool to room temperature before cutting and serving.