I want to bake a cake every weekend for the rest of the final days left in summer, and if it’s sunny, have a leisurely breakfast outside on the balcony. It feels like fall already; temperatures have cooled considerably making it ideal to turn on our ovens again. I’ve been thinking about this double chocolate banana bread for a while now, it’s the sort of ‘everyday’ cake I like to make for breakfast when I want something s little special or crave a comforting morning.
Last weekend after we got through that dreaded windstorm thankfully unscathed, we used the downtime to tackle some of the chores we’d neglected in favour of our summer bucket list. It seemed like the perfect time to have a nice breakfast out on the balcony, and bake a cake.
The preparation for this cake is quick, but the payoff is great – it’s your ordinary banana bread made luscious with decadent dark chocolate and rich cocoa powder.
The truth is, I’m not a big fan chocolatey desserts, I don’t think I’ve ever chosen a slice of chocolate cake over some other type of dessert that wasn’t chocolate, but this banana bread does it for me.
Perhaps it’s the combination of chocolate and banana; it’s an irresistibly sweet balance – rich and moist – I didn’t know chocolates and banana made such a perfect pair. I save bars of dark chocolate just for this banana bread!
I know we’re unofficially through with summer but I’m looking forward to a few more warm days, slow mornings out on the balcony, making myself a cup of coffee with a slice of this wonderful banana bread.
- 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoons water
- 3 very ripe medium to large bananas, mashed
- 1/2 cup (4 oz.) non-hydrogenated plant-based *butter, melted
- 3/4 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour or white whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
- 1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chips
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F., and grease a baking pan with butter
- Mix ground flax seed and water in a small cup, set aside and let mixture thicken for at least 5 minutes
- In a large bowl combine mashed banana with flax mixture and melted butter
- Add sugar and vanilla extract, and mix well to combine
- Using a sifter (or fine mesh strainer) sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cardamom over the wet ingredients (banana mixture)
- Stir with a spatula and mix until just combined, add dark chocolate and mix to incorporate
- Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 55 – 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean
- Cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 - 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge and remove cake from pan by gently turning it onto the cooling rack.
- Allow cake to completely cool before serving
- Enjoy!
- *I used Earth Balance Soy-Free Buttery Spread.
11 Comments
i love the decorative top (and obviously the bread itself)! your pictures are always so colorful and nicely set up. 🙂
9 September, 2015 at 11:10 amThanks Grace, I’m glad you like my powdered sugar stenciling job. I felt the bread was blah and needed some pizzazz! 🙂
10 September, 2015 at 5:25 pmFirst of all yes please to the double chocolate banana bread. Buts what is killing it for me is your space. I WANT that space.
10 September, 2015 at 12:30 amHahaha… Thank you B. This is why we need to move next door to each other!!! 🙂
10 September, 2015 at 5:26 pmThank you Sam! I hope you try and love it.:-)
10 September, 2015 at 5:20 pmI’m with Bintu. Just wow!
11 September, 2015 at 6:54 am🙂 Thanks!
12 September, 2015 at 12:05 pmThis is such a wonderful breakfast table ever!!! I would definitely choose your chocolate banana bread over anything 🙂 The good thing about fall is that we can comfortably bake again. So long summer and help fall, right?
12 September, 2015 at 12:35 pmThis is sooo beautiful. The table display looks like a magazine – well done.
And that heart pattern <3 want to make
1 October, 2015 at 7:11 pmI checked this recipe on One Green Planet, love the photo and came to check the whole recipe. Amazing website!
5 December, 2015 at 5:46 pmThank you so much for stopping by Azu! Hope to see you around here often 🙂
8 December, 2015 at 9:55 pm