Description
Irresistibly moist chocolate banana cake made with ripe bananas and rich cocoa. A fudgy, tender crumb that stays fresh for days.
Ingredients
Scale
- Moisture, sweetness, binding 3 large (1 cup mashed)
- Deep chocolate flavor ½ cup (50g)
- Structure 1½ cups (190g)
- Sweetness, moisture ¾ cup (150g)
- Moisture (better than butter) ⅓ cup
- Structure, richness 2 large
- Tenderness, tang ½ cup
- Leavening (reacts with banana acid) 1 tsp
- Flavor complexity 1 tsp
- Flavor balance ½ tsp
- Melty pockets of chocolate ½ cup
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan (2 Minutes) — Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×13 pan (or two 9-inch round pans for layers). Line the bottom with parchment paper for guaranteed easy release. Dust lightly with cocoa powder instead of flour — this prevents a white residue on your dark chocolate cake.
- Mash the Bananas (2 Minutes) — In a large bowl, mash the overripe bananas with a fork until smooth with only a few small lumps remaining. A few small chunks are fine and add pleasant texture pockets to the finished cake.
- Mix the Wet Ingredients (3 Minutes) — To the mashed bananas, add sugar, oil, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Whisk until combined — about 30 seconds. Don’t overmix; just until uniform. The batter will look slightly curdled; this is normal.
- Add the Dry Ingredients (2 Minutes) — Sift cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt directly over the wet mixture. Fold with a spatula until just combined — no dry streaks should remain, but stop the moment the batter looks uniform. Overmixing develops gluten, which makes cake tough instead of tender. Fold in chocolate chips if using.
- Bake (30–35 Minutes) — Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Bake at 350°F for 30–35 minutes (9×13) or 25–28 minutes (round pans). The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs — not wet batter, not bone dry. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
- Frost and Serve — Wait until the cake is completely cool before frosting (warm cake melts frosting immediately). For the classic pairing, use chocolate cream cheese frosting. Pair with a glass of protein coffee for an indulgent afternoon treat, or serve alongside a scoop of vanilla ice cream for special occasions.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 285
- Sugar: 24g
- Sodium: 210mg
- Fat: 14g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 5g