Do you have a few overripe bananas lying around the kitchen? Instead of throwing them away or turning them into banana shakes, make a rich chocolate banana cake.

Bananas and chocolate complement each other surprisingly well. Overripe bananas add natural sweetness, moisture and a soft texture while cocoa adds the cake chocolatey taste. Just add a handful of chocolate chips and you’ll have pockets of melted chocolate in practically every slice.

This chocolate banana cake recipe is easy enough for beginners and indulgent enough to serve as dessert when entertaining your friends and family.

You can have it with nothing, topped with chocolate ganache or served with a scoop of ice cream on top.

Chocolate Banana Cake Overview

Details	Description
Preparation time	15 minutes
Cooking time	35-40 minutes
Cooling time	30 minutes
Time Total	1 hr 25 min
Size of the tin	8 inch round tin
Portions	8-10 pieces
Difficulty	Easy
Main tastes	Chocolate and banana

 

Reasons to Love This Chocolate Banana Cake

There are lots of complicated recipes of chocolate cake, but this one is not.

It uses overripe bananas effectively

Overripe bananas that cannot be eaten anymore are perfect for baking because they are softer and sweeter.

The cake is soft and moist

Banana, oil and milk ensure moisture and allow creating a cake with a tender crumb instead of a dry sponge.

Chocolate is not dominant over banana

You’ll get the chocolate taste from cocoa while the banana will stay noticeable in the background.

Nothing complicated is required

There is no need for a mixer. Just two bowls, a whisk, a spatula and a tin will do the job.

You can customize it

Add chocolate chips, walnuts, hazelnuts, cinnamon and chocolate ganache according to your preferences.

Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Cake

Accurate measures are crucial in baking and therefore the weight measures are given where appropriate.

Dry Ingredients

• 1¼ cups (155 g) all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (45-50 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

• 3 medium overripe bananas, approximately 300 g without peel
• ¾ cup (150 g) brown sugar or caster sugar
• 2 big eggs, room temperature
• ½ cup (120 ml) neutral vegetable oil
• ½ cup (120 ml) milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Additional ingredients

• ½ cup chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
• ¼ cup chopped walnuts or hazelnuts, optional

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 100 g dark or semi-sweet chocolate
• 100 ml fresh or heavy cream

Ganache is optional because the cake is moisturized enough to eat without frosting.

Which Bananas Should Be Used for Banana Chocolate Cake?

Here is one recipe when prettier bananas are not better.

Look for bananas with lots of brown spots on the peel. Fully brown bananas are good too, providing they have not gone bad.

As bananas ripen, they get softer and sweeter. It makes them much easier to crush and gives baked banana goods banana taste.

Yellow bananas that are still firm can be used, but the cake may have less sweetness and banana smell.

Can you use frozen bananas?

Yes.

Thaw the frozen bananas thoroughly and crush them. Include banana pulp in the batter.

If there is an excessive amount of liquid after thawing, don’t pour all of it to the batter because it will affect the batter structure.

How to Bake Chocolate Banana Cake

Step 1: Preparing the Oven and Tin

Set your oven to 175°C (350°F).

Grease the 8-inch round tin with a little butter or oil and put the bottom of it in parchment paper.

Preheating is necessary as you should start baking the cake as soon as you put the batter in the oven.

Step 2: Crushing the Bananas

Crush the peeled overripe bananas in a big bowl.

Crushing should be thorough, but the bananas don’t have to form a puree. Some small banana pieces are okay.

Step 3: Mixing the Dry Ingredients

Sift in a separate bowl:

• All-purpose flour
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Baking soda
• Baking powder
• Salt

Cocoa powder tends to form lumps so sifting helps getting an even batter.

Mix them briefly with a whisk and put the bowl aside.

Step 4: Mixing the Wet Ingredients

Add the sugar to crushed bananas and mix thoroughly.

Add eggs one by one and mix.

Then add the oil, milk and vanilla extract.

Mix until getting a uniform and smooth mixture.

Step 5: Adding the Dry Ingredients

Add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture in two parts.

Combine everything with a spatula gently.

Stop as soon as you can’t see any dry streaks of flour.

It is crucial. Continued vigorous mixing of the batter after flour incorporation makes the cake tough.

Step 6: Adding the Chocolate Chips

Add the chocolate chips to the batter.

If you want to use chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or any other additional ingredient, do it now.

Reserve some chocolate chips for the cake’s decoration.

Step 7: Putting Batter into the Tin

Pour the batter into your prepared tin.

Smooth the surface with a spatula.

Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips.

Tap the tin gently against the counter once or twice.

Step 8: Baking

Put the cake tin on the center shelf of your oven.

Bake at 175°C for 35-40 minutes.

Begin checking after 33 minutes because ovens differ.

Insert a toothpick or a thin skewer into the middle of the cake.

Your goal is a toothpick without any wet batter. A little bit of wet crumbs is absolutely fine.

Never bake further just because you expected the toothpick to be completely dry.

Step 9: Cooling the Cake

Let the cake cool in the tin for 10-15 minutes.

Take it out of the tin carefully and transfer it onto a cooling rack.

Let it cool completely before putting ganache on.

Putting ganache onto a hot cake will make it too thin and runny.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache Easily

Ganache is not necessary, but if you want to make the cake even more of a dessert, you can make the ganache.

Finely chop 100 g chocolate and put it into a heatproof bowl.

Heat 100 ml cream until it becomes hot, but do not overheat it.

Pour the cream over the chocolate.

Leave it for about 2 minutes untouched.

Stir the mixture gently from the middle of the bowl.

Keep stirring until it becomes homogeneous and glossy.

Leave it for a while so that it could thicken.

Spread ganache over your cooled chocolate banana cake.

You can decorate it with:

• Chocolate curls
• Chocolate chips
• Chopped walnuts
• Hazelnuts
• Cocoa powder
• Slices of fresh banana

If you use fresh banana slices, add them just before serving because cut bananas darken naturally.

8 Ways to Make a Moist Chocolate Banana Cake

1. Use the right bananas

The browner and softer the banana is, the better its contribution to sweetness and banana taste.

2. Be precise with flour

Excess of flour easily leads to a dry and heavy cake.

For the most accurate measure, use a kitchen scale.

If you use measuring cups, always spoon flour into the cup, not pack it.

3. Do not overmix

As soon as the flour and the liquid meet, mix only until all components are incorporated.

You are baking a cake, not mixing the milkshake.

4. Do not overbake

It may be difficult to estimate the readiness of chocolate cake due to its color.

Use a toothpick instead.

5. Use unsweetened cocoa

Drinking chocolate and cocoa powder are not always interchangeable.

Unsweetened baking cocoa lets you regulate sweetness better.

6. Use room temperature ingredients

Room temperature eggs and milk usually mix well with the other ingredients.

7. Let the cake cool before cutting it

The cake needs time to cool down because it is still setting inside.

Immediate cutting may make the crumb sticky and crumble the cake.

8. Do not skip salt

Small amount of salt does not make your cake salty, but helps balance sweetness and complement the chocolate taste.

Eggless Chocolate Banana Cake

Want to make the cake eggless?

For each egg mix:

• 1 tbsp ground flaxseed
• 3 tbsp water

Leave it for 5-10 minutes until it thickens.

For this recipe you’ll need two such flax mixtures instead of two eggs.

The texture may become a bit denser compared to the egg one, but banana will provide enough moisture.

Alternatively, you can use thick plain yogurt. Around ¼ cup of yoghurt can replace one egg in many simple cake recipes.

Chocolate Banana Cake Alternatives

Once you master the basic recipe, experiment.

Chocolate Banana Walnut Cake

Add ½ cup of toasted and chopped walnuts.

Walnuts will add crunchiness and will complement the soft banana cake wonderfully.

Double Chocolate Banana Cake

Just increase the amount of chocolate chips or add chopped dark chocolate to have larger chocolate pockets in the cake.

Banana Chocolate Coffee Cake

Add 1 tsp of instant coffee dissolved in a bit of warm milk.

You don’t necessarily want your cake to taste of coffee. A bit of coffee complements the cocoa.

Cinnamon Chocolate Banana Cake

Add about ½ tsp ground cinnamon into the dry ingredients.

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes

Divide the batter between lined cupcake tins instead of using the cake tin.

Since the cupcakes are smaller, check them a lot sooner than the whole cake.

Why Is My Chocolate Banana Cake Dry?

Possible reasons are:

Too much flour

Measuring flour by packing the measuring cup can accidentally result in too much of it.

Too much cooking time

Sometimes additional five or ten minutes are enough to dry your moist cake.

Not enough banana

Bananas are a source of moisture and taste at the same time.

Use approximately the recommended amount instead of counting only the number of bananas since they differ in size.

Oven temperature was too high

Some ovens cook food faster than their temperature displays show.

If the cakes brown too quickly in your oven, an inexpensive oven thermometer can help you to find out the problem.

Why Is My Banana Cake Dense or Rubber?

Overmixing is a possible reason.

Mix the ingredients with a spatula only until they are incorporated after adding flour.

Incorrect amounts of baking soda or baking powder can influence the cake’s leavening too.

Why Does the Middle of the Cake Sink?

There are several reasons:

• The cake is not completely baked in the middle
• The oven door is opened too early
• Too much rising agent is added
• Ingredient proportions were changed

Avoid opening the oven in the early baking stages.

Storage of the Chocolate Banana Cake

At room temperature

An unfrosted cake can be kept in an airtight box for 1-2 days in a cool environment.

In hot or humid conditions, refrigeration is the better option.

In the refrigerator

Keep the cake in a covered airtight box.

For the best texture, leave the refrigerated piece for a while at room temperature before consumption.

You can re-warm it a little to restore its softness.

Is it Possible to Freeze the Chocolate Banana Cake?

Yes.

Usually it is easier to freeze the cake without fresh banana decoration.

Slice the cooled cake and wrap individually the slices in a freezer safe box or bag.

It allows you to defrost as many slices as you need.

What to Serve Together With the Chocolate Banana Cake

It is a dessert by itself, but you can make it even richer.

Serve it with:

• Vanilla ice cream
• Chocolate ice cream
• Whipped cream
• Fresh strawberries
• Warm chocolate sauce
• Salted caramel sauce
• Hot coffee
• Cappuccino
• Cold milk

Warm piece with vanilla ice cream is especially tasty because you will feel warm chocolate cake with cold and creamy ice cream.

Baking in Your Kitchen vs Ordering a Celebration Cake

Chocolate banana cake is a nice choice if you want to use overripe bananas or just spend your weekend baking.

However, if you want something for a birthday, anniversary or another event, then you may prefer something more decorative and meant for the celebration. In this case, you can choose chocolate cakes online in different designs. You can also explore online cake delivery in delhi when you need a celebration cake delivered conveniently.

But if you just want a dessert, this homemade chocolate banana cake is hard to beat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make chocolate banana cake without a mixer?

Yes. Just a whisk and spatula are enough for this recipe.

There is no need to use a mixer if bananas are crushed properly and wet ingredients are mixed well.

Can I make chocolate banana cake without eggs?

Yes. Egg substitutes like flax eggs or thick yogurt can be used.

However, the texture will be slightly different.

How ripe should bananas be for banana cake?

Bananas with a lot of brown spots are preferable.

They should be soft and aromatic instead of being firm and not ripe.

Can I use normal chocolate instead of chocolate chips?

Yes.

Crush a chocolate bar and mix it into the batter.

It will make larger pockets of chocolate.

Can I omit the chocolate chips?

Certainly.

Cocoa powder provides the chocolate flavor in the cake. Chocolate chips are an extra.

Should chocolate banana cake be refrigerated?

In case of cream-based frosting or in warm conditions, the refrigeration is the better choice.

Cover the cake to protect it from drying out.

Can I use whole wheat flour?

You can replace some all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour, but the texture of the cake will be a bit different.

If you want to replace all the flour, you may need some additional adjustments.

Can I bake the recipe in a loaf tin?

Yes, but the baking time will change because a loaf tin will form a thicker layer of batter.

Bake until the middle of the cake is done instead of estimating the time for an 8-inch round tin.

Why I Cannot Taste Banana in My Cake?

Either the bananas were not ripe enough or the chocolate flavor is more dominant.

Use overripe bananas and avoid increasing the amounts of cocoa or chocolate beyond the recipe.

Conclusion

A perfect chocolate banana cake should contain both tastes and not be just a regular chocolate cake with banana sneaking around in the background.

Use ripe bananas, be careful with the flour, and refrain from mixing the batter further once it’s ready. And above all else, check the cake earlier than you might expect. Being a little bit off with the baking time is better than having a dry and overcooked cake.

Eat it plain to satisfy your basic needs, cover it with ganache whenever you need a richer cake, or heat up a slice with some vanilla ice cream to make yourself a quick dessert.

And next time you have some bananas that are getting too dark in your kitchen, you’ll know what to do with them.