Chocolate Banana Cake
, Published Jul 24, 2024
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This soft, moist and delicious Chocolate Banana Cake is super easy to make and serves a crowd! A great way to use up overripe bananas that’s NOT banana bread 😉
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Overripe bananas… what to bake? It has to be banana bread or banana muffins, right? But sometimes you want to bake something a little bit different and this chocolate banana cake is definitely the answer!
Adding mashed bananas to a chocolate sheet cake (or traybake if you are in the UK) makes for an incredibly moist, fluffy soft and delicious cake. There’s still banana flavor coming through, but for the most part this is a decadent chocolate cake with an irresistible frosting.
My kids are not fans of banana bread but they were ALL OVER this cake – and winning them over is not easy, let me tell you. I have also taken it to school bake sales where not a single crumb remained so I know you will love it too!
Chocolate Banana Cake Ingredients
This easy chocolate banana cake recipe uses everyday ingredients and is easy to make using a hand or stand mixer. Let’s take a look at what you will need:
- Bananas: brown, spotty bananas that are too ripe to eat are perfect for baking. You can mash them with a fork or use a blender to liquidize them.
- Flour: all purpose / plain flour
- Light brown sugar
- Good quality unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder, baking soda and salt
- Large eggs (room temperature)
- Softened butter or a baking spread such as Stork
- A little milk, yogurt or buttermilk
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Chocolate chips, mascarpone or cream cheese, vanilla, cinnamon, coffee and powdered sugar for the frosting
- Chocolate curls or chocolate shavings to decorate
How to Make Chocolate Banana Cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page. Please take a look at the steps and video before attempting this recipe!
Make the cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Mist a 9×13 cake pan with cake release and line with baking paper, letting the edges of the paper overhang the edges of the tin.
Measure the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir or beat on low speed to combine.
Add the softened butter and beat on low speed until you have a sandy consistency. This “reverse creaming” ensures the cake with be extra moist!
The mashed bananas, eggs, milk and vanilla go in next. Beat well until the batter is smooth, using a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Transfer the batter into the prepared baking tin and level. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is just coming away from the edges of the tin. A tester inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool in the tin for five minutes then carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool.
Prepare the frosting and assemble
Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler and cool slightly before using. Place the mascarpone, sugar, cinnamon, espresso powder and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until the frosting holds peaks. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until the frosting is smooth.
Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with chocolate shavings. Cut into small squares to serve.
Recipe Notes and FAQs
- Store the cake at room temperature in a cake container, away from direct sunlight for up to four days.
- The cake can be made up to two days ahead and kept at room temperature, wrapped well, until you are ready to add the frosting.
- Serving this at a children’s birthday party? Leave out the espresso powder in the frosting and decorate with sprinkles or M&Ms instead of the chocolate shavings.
- Can I bake this cake in an air fryer? You absolutely can but you may need to bake it in two smaller cake pans unless you own a double drawer air fryer (like the Ninja Megazone). Bake at 160°C (320°F) for 40 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Please bear in mind that air fryers can vary so you might need to adjust the baking time or temperature.
Related Recipes
- Air Fryer Chocolate Cake
- Easy Chocolate Cake Traybake
- Retro School Cake
- Strawberry Sheet Cake (From Scratch!)
Chocolate Banana Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 ½ cups) flour plain / all purpose
- 60 g (½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 330 g (1 ⅔ cups) sugar light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 200 g (7/8 cup) unsalted butter softened
- 3 large eggs
- 180 g (3/4 cup) mashed bananas 2 medium
- 2 tbsp milk or buttermilk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Chocolate Frosting
- 450 g ( 1 pounds) mascarpone or full-fat block cream cheese
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar (icing sugar)
- 175 g (1 cup) chocolate chips
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp espresso powder (optional)
To decorate
- chocolate shavings
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Mist a 9×13 cake pan with cake release and line with baking paper.
- Measure the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir or beat on low speed to combine.300 g (2 ½ cups) flour, 60 g (½ cup) unsweetened cocoa powder, 330 g (1 ⅔ cups) sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, ½ tbsp bicarbonate of soda, ¼ tsp salt
- Add the softened butter and beat on low speed until you have a sandy consistency. This “reverse creaming” ensures the cake with be extra moist!200 g (7/8 cup) unsalted butter
- The mashed bananas, eggs, milk and vanilla go in next. Beat well until the batter is smooth, using a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.3 large eggs, 180 g (3/4 cup) mashed bananas, 2 tbsp milk, 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- Transfer the batter into the prepared baking tin and level. Bake for 40 minutes, or until the cake is just coming away from the edges of the tin. A tester inserted in the center should come out clean.
- Cool in the tin for five minutes then carefully invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool.
- Make the frosting. Melt the chocolate in the microwave or over a double boiler and cool slightly before using.175 g (1 cup) chocolate chips
- Place the mascarpone, sugar, cinnamon, espresso powder and vanilla in a mixing bowl and beat until the frosting holds peaks. Add the melted chocolate and beat again until the frosting is smooth.450 g ( 1 pounds) mascarpone, 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar, 1 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp espresso powder, chocolate shavings
- Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and top with chocolate shavings. Cut into small squares to serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is always approximate, and will depend on quality of ingredients and serving sizes.
