Chocolate Banana cake | Chocolate banana bread | चॉकलेट बनाना केक रेसिपी

 

This Chocolate Banana Cake/Bread combines the sweet flavor of ripe bananas with chocolate. So, I tried making it by adding unsweetened cocoa powder to it. The results were excellent. It  had  a mild chocolate flavor yet still retaining the sweetness and moistness that has always made banana bread popular.

Almost every time I buy bananas, a few will turn brown before I get around to eat them. And if you are like me, then this banana bread will become a new companion to your evening tea/coffee. I even had them with my breakfast and why not, who doesn’t like a wholesome chocolate cake to brighten up the mornings.

The recipe is extremely simple, with very few steps (no fancy equipment's).  You can serve the cake as a snack as it has less sweetness compared to traditional cakes and yet you can increase the sugar level to make it a classic dessert recipe. That to me is the difference between the ‘cake’ and ‘bread’. Also, in this recipe, I have added walnuts, cashews to improve the cake serving experience. I found it quite pretty looking as well (important when serving a toddlers, right).

Ingredients:

v 135 grams (1 cup) plain flour or all purpose flour (maida)

v 15 grams (2 Tbsp) unsweetened cocoa powder

v 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

v 1 teaspoon baking powder

v 50 grams (1/4 cup) granulated sugar

v 120 ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil or melted butter

v 2 overripe bananas

v 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

v 1/4 teaspoon salt

v 1 large eggs

v 60 ml (1/4 cup) full fat or whole milk

v milk chocolate chips, nuts of your choice (optional)

 

Instructions:

1.     Preheat oven to 350F/180C. Butter the inside of a 9×5-inch loaf pan/ baking tin and line it with baking or parchment paper.

2.     In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3.     In a mixer jar, beat together egg and sugar on medium speed for 2-3 minutes. Add mashed bananas, milk, oil and vanilla extract, and beat until combined. Transfer this into large bowl.

4.     Slowly add the dry ingredients (from step-2) into the wet ingredients, beating until just  combined using a beater, whisk or simply a spoon. Do not over mix – the less you mix, the lighter the cake will be. Mix in the chocolate chips and nuts at this step (if needed)

5.     Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

6.     Let the cake cool down to room temperature and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or any topping of your choice.

Ok now,  I know not everyone has an oven at home, so I’ll also share the method to bake a cake on stove top.

Ø Prepare the batter as mentioned above.

Ø Take a kadhai or any deep vessel available at your home. Place a stand (if you have one) or some salt/sand to cover the whole base of the kadhai. Cover with a well closed lid. This is done to pre heat.

Ø After 10 mins, transfer  the batter in your buttered baking pan and place it in the kadhai. (Be careful as it will be hot)

Ø Close it properly with the lid to avoid any loss of heat or moisture.

Ø Maintain the flame at low and check the cake after 20-25 mins. If a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean your cake is done. If not, continue baking for 5 mins more and check again.

Ø Once its done, take it out and let it cool down.

 

Tips and Tricks:

·        Use only unsweetened cocoa powder ( I used the Hershey's cocoa powder) and if you use butter in the recipe make sure its unsalted.

·        The bread can be frozen for up to 3 months. After it is completely cooled, wrap it securely in aluminum foil, freezer wrap or place in a freezer bag. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

·        For egg less cake you could skip the egg and replace it with 1 teaspoon white vinegar.

·        For vegan recipe, in place of milk you could use almond milk or water.

·        You can use any nuts of your choice. Chopped walnuts, cashews, almonds could be used perfectly.