A very easy and delicious cake that’s perfect for using the bananas that have gone black in the fruit bowl. It’s even worth letting them go black for! We made this twice in a week and are tempted to make it again soon.
Chocolate and Banana Cake
- 250g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 125g softened butter
- 235g muscovado sugar
- 400g (peeled weight) very ripe bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 100g dark chocolate
You need a non-stick loaf tin approx. 24cm x 12cm x 7cm deep, lined with baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4.
Sift the flour and baking powder together.
Use an electric mixer to cream the butter and sugar together until light, fluffy and pale coffee coloured.
Put the bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork, lumps are ok as you don’t want a purée. Stir in the vanilla extract.
Beat the eggs lightly with a fork then beat them into the butter and sugar mixture. If it threatens to curdle add a spoonful of flour.
Chop the chocolate into small pieces and fold them and the bananas into the butter and sugar mixture. Gently fold in the flour and baking powder.
Scrape the mixture into the baking tin and bake for about 50 minutes. Check that it is cooked by inserting a metal skewer into the centre. If it is moist but clean then the cake is ready. If there is any sign of wet cake mixture on the skewer, return the cake to the oven for a few more minutes. Cover the surface with foil if it starts getting too dark.
Leave the cake to settle in the tin for about 15 minutes, then loosen sides with a palette knife and carefully lift the cake out. Leave to cool for a bit longer before peeling off the paper. Serve cool.
(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Kitchen Diaries II, Fourth Estate, 2012.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
That would go so nicely with the beer I’m having.
This looks so yummy! Have made banana cake before but never thought of adding chocolate, will try it soon!