Moist and Rich Chocolate Banana Cake
This one layer Chocolate banana cake is the perfect dessert to make when you have leftover bananas but don’t want to make banana bread. It’s rich, fluffy, and has double the chocolate flavor from chocolate chips that are added to the batter. This recipe uses 3 bananas and is easily made in a 9″ cake or loaf pan.
If you have 3 spotted bananas on your counter right now and are craving something chocolatey- this is the perfect cake to make!
What I love about it is that you can make it in a loaf pan, a 9″round cake pan, or spring form pan. It’s rich and chocolatey plus has an undertone of banana giving you that classic combo you love. Plus the whole cake is studded with chocolate chips because who doesn’t love more chocolate?
As a professional baker and someone who overestimates just how many bananas her family will eat in a week- baking with bananas is something I do very often. From moist banana bread, to banana cake, and even banana brownies, there is always a different dessert you can choose from.
This chocolate banana cake is also low maintenance. It’s so good that you can eat it on it’s own or you can take it over the top and frost it with chocolate fudge frosting, chocolate cream cheese frosting, or for a fun twist try Nutella Frosting.
Using overripe bananas
Don’t throw away your overripe bananas! Use them instead to bake with, or peel them, wrap them in plastic and then freeze for another baking session.
An overripe banana is perfect for baking with. The darker and more spotted and bruised it is, the sweeter it will be in the recipe. This means you no longer have to waste them!
Making the cake from scratch
You can either make this recipe by hand in a medium sized bowl, or in your mixer. I prefer to make it by hand, but it is up to you!
Mash the banana in the bowl you are making the cake in. This can be a one bowl cake! The bananas don’t have to be totally mashed up. There can be some lumps. Add the butter with the sugars and mix with a spatula (or the paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) until a think paste forms.
Next add in the eggs one at a time, mixing in between. Add in the vanilla and give it a good stir. Then add in the dry ingredients but don’t mix just yet!
Chocolate chips in the batter
Add the chocolate chips right on top of the flour and dust them around lightly with your fingers.
Pro tip: Chocolate chips need to be dusted with flour before adding them to any cake batter or else they will sink to the bottom of the cake. Dusting them with flour allows for the chocolate chips to disperse evenly throughout. This goes for any kind of add ins- nuts, dried fruit, etc.
If you are using your stand mixer I recommend adding in your chocolate chips by hand so they don’t get crushed up.
Spray a 9″ cake pan or spring form pan with baking spray or line with parchment paper. Pour the batter in and dot with a couple extra chocolate chips.
Bake on 350° for 40-45 minutes or until the edges of the cake start to break away from the cake pan and a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs
Remember that the darker your pan is the quicker the loaf will bake, so if you are baking in a glass pan or a lighter colored pan, it may take a little longer.
Add ins
Feel free to add in other things like nuts. Just make sure to dust them first with a little flour so they don’t sink!
Storing instructions
Store this cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. It is freezer friendly too and can last for 2 months in the freezer.
To freeze, wrap the cake well in plastic wrap or cut slices and wrap each slice well before placing in the freezer.
Loaf Pan Size
You can make this cake in a regular loaf pan too. The bake time is similar but will need an extra couple minutes- around 50 minutes.
Moist and Rich Chocolate Banana Cake
Ingredients
- 3 overripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and spray a 9" round cake pan or loaf pan with baking spray and/or line with parchment paper.
- In a medium size mixing bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, mash the 3 bananas with a fork. Lumps are ok. (To make this a one bowl cake make it in a large bowl, or mash the bananas in a smaller bowl and continue with a larger one.)
- Add the 1/2 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/2 cup white sugar and whisk until a smooth paste forms. Alternatively you can use the paddle attachment in your stand mixer on low-medium speed for 1 minute.
- Add the eggs one at a time, stirring to combine in between. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract and mix.
- Add in the 1 cup flour, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Don't mix yet! Add the chocolate chips on top of the flour and lightly dust them with the flour. This helps them not sink to the bottom of the cake. Mix until just combined.
- Pour batter into the prepared cake or loaf pan and bake 40-45 mins or until the middle no longer jiggles. If you insert a skewer and it comes out with a couple moist crumbs, it's done!
- Leave unfrosted or top with Chocolate fudge frosting or chocolate cream cheese frosting.
Notes
- If the bananas aren’t as overripe as you would like, just mash really well and add to mixture.
- Try adding in nuts as a topping
I made muffins with this recipe and they were soooooo delicious! Very moist and chocolatey with a perfect amount of banana flavor!
Amazing Alexia! Thank you so much for letting me know it works with muffins! Im so happy you enjoyed them!
I’m so amazing at what I saw on your blog,was searching for a nice site where I can get banana cake for my cousin’s wedding. Your banana cakes looks.
attractive and adorable .
I will like to you to bake a cake for my cousin’s wedding that is coming up next month.
Thank you so much Teegal!
Can I use oil instead of margarine or butter? Can I use spelt flour? That;s my usual flour of choice. They look delicious!
Thanks!
Hi Lisa!
I have not tried it with oil or spelt flour but if you’re willing to experiment then I’d say go for it!XO
This is a decadent banana bread – very moist thanks to ripe bananas. My friend thought it was so good that she thought it had rum in it!
Omg ha thats amazing! So glad you enjoyed this recipe! Thank you so much for your comment and review!