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This Extra Moist Chocolate Banana Cake is topped with Espresso Chocolate Ganache! Baked in a loaf pan, this is a great snacking cake! A great recipe for the when you have ripe bananas and want to bake something other than banana bread!
Banana Chocolate Cake
Another day, another chocolate recipe! Today’s recipe is the second recipe I’m sharing for CHOCOLATE MONTH! And it’s a real keeper!
This moist and delicious chocolate loaf is loaded with gooey chocolate chips and topped with decadent ganache! A small slice goes a long way, and it’s one of those cake recipes that is appropriate for a casual brunch or a fancy dinner party. The chocolate frosting makes it versatile like that!
Ingredients for Chocolate Banana Cake
This recipe calls for pretty basic baking ingredients like flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. But I like to add two less common dry ingredients that really give it a pop: espresso powder and cinnamon! Both are added in a conservative amount, but really elevate the flavors in the cake and make it special! You’ll also need butter, eggs, sour cream, and mashed RIPE bananas. These wet ingredients are our “moist makers” and should not be skipped on skimped on. A lot of times I get questions about replacing 1/4 cup of the sour cream with more bananas, but I do not recommend it! Use the full 1/2 cup of sour cream! It adds texture, moisture, and a delightful flavor to the cake.
Prepare your Pan
You’ll need a 9×5″ loaf pan for this recipe. I suggest lining the pan with parchment paper AND spraying it with nonstick baking spray. Think of this as your insurance policy for when it comes time to remove the cake from the pan.
Baking Chocolate Banana Cake
Once your cake batter has been assembled and poured into your prepared pan, it’s time to bake! This cake has a long bake time, and is usually ready somewhere between 60 and 70 minutes. But the best way to ensure your cake is finished? Insert a cake tester or toothpick in the center of the cake. If the toothpick inserted comes out clean, your cake is baked! Just be sure when you do this test you don’t mistake gooey chocolate from a chocolate chip for cake batter.
Once the cake has finished baking it’s important to let it cool completely in the pan, placed on a wire cooling rack. This usually takes about an hour. Once cool, you can frost and serve. Or wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months or keep on the counter for up to 3 days!
More Banana Recipes:
- Simple Banana Sheet Cake
- Healthy Chocolate Banana Bread
- Old-Fashioned Banana Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- Healthy Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
Chocolate Banana Cake with Espresso Fudge Frosting
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Banana Cake:
- 1 and 1/3 cups all-purpose flour (158 grams)
- 1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder (23 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon espresso powder
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (113 grams)
- 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas, about 3 medium bananas (355 ml)
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature (121 grams)
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
For the Espresso Ganache Frosting:
- 1 and 1/4 cups (212 grams) semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 3/4 cup (170 grams) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons espresso powder (use 1 teaspoon for a mild espresso flavor)
- 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into tiny pieces
Instructions
For the Chocolate Banana Cake:
- Position a rack in the center of your oven. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, so that two of the sides overlap the pan. Spray the bottom and sides of the pan with nonstick baking spray.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and espresso powder. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Gradually add in the sugar and beat on medium-high speed until well combined, about 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, then beat for another 30 seconds.
- Add in the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- On low speed, add in the mashed banana and vanilla, beating until just incorporated in the mix.
- Staying on low speed, add in the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined!
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the chocolate chips. Then scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean (other than melted chocolate or a few moist crumbs). Cool in the cake pan, on a wire rack, for 30 minutes.
- Unmold the cake onto the cooling rack, turn the cake right side up, and cool completely.
For the Espresso Ganache Frosting:
- In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and espresso powder. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Once at a boil, immediately remove from heat and stir in the butter.
- Pour cream over chopped chocolate and let stand for 1 minute to melt the chocolate, then whisk smooth with a metal spoon or rubber spatula. Cover the surface of the frosting with plastic wrap and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes, or until firm enough to spread.
Regular hershey cocoa work ok???
Hi Wendy. For best results, you’ll need Dutch-process cocoa powder. Hershey’s does sell a version, I believe they call it “dark blend” or “special blend”.
Can you describe the oven temperature because it took about 1 hour to bake ? Thank you
Will it work if I substitute 121g of sour cream with 121g of Greek yoghurt?
looks amazing!!
will it wotk in a square pan? 22×22 cm?
and can i sub the heavy cream with coconut cream?
I used a square pan and reduced the cook time to 45min. Turned out great!
I’m not sure about the cream, but I don’t see why not—the chocolate is what makes the ganache firm. Coconut cream also has a lot of fat already so you could probably skip the butter, or use coconut oil instead. Worth a try!
I baked this cake and got rave reviews from the whole family! Skipped the frosting and cut down sugar by 2/3 – I used local bananas of sweeter variety. This recipe is totally for keeps. Thanks!
♥️this delish cake..it’s one of my favorites…for ever and always♥️
Je ramasse mes ingrédients pour le faire. Je fais chez-moi mon café expresso italien. Est-ce de cette poudre, café moulu fin, dont vous parlez ? Sinon quel est cet ingrédient ? Merci.
Non, elle parle d’une poudre de café instantané qui indique café fort” ou “espresso.” Ici au Canada nous avons du Nescafé, qui fait une version, mais je ne sais pas si ça s’applique ici. J’ai bien peur que des fèves de café moulues rendraient le gâteau granuleux.
Can you just splenda instead of regular sugar?
Hi Lori. This recipe was not tested with Splenda, so I can’t say how that would work out.
I would like to know if I can use Cacao powder Unsweetened plant based superfood. I love prepared delicious desserts for my husband and my grandkids. Thank you for your good explanation, like a teacher. God blessed you.
Hi Lesia. For best results, this recipe needs to be made with Dutch-process cocoa powder. I haven’t tried this recipe with a plant based superfood cocoa powder, so I’m not sure how it would turn out. But if you experiment, please let us know!
Hi if you want to store left over cake which is frosted what do you recommend?
Wondering the same thing!
I would store it in the fridge, wrapped tightly. Bring to room temperature before serving.
The banana bread itself was delicious. In the ganache the espresso powder flavour was a bit too strong so I added a bit more cream to dilute it a bit
Hi!.. I am allergic to bananas. What can I use instead?…thank you!!
Hi Vicky! I would suggest choosing a different recipe. My chocolate Bundt Cake is similar https://bakerbynature.com/best-ever-chocolate-bundt-cake/
I made this recipe and it was fabulous!! The loaf pan size is just the right size cake for a small group. I received a KitchenAid stand up mixer for Christmas and this was the first recipe I made with it : )
I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Suzanne! And what a fabulous Christmas gift!!!
Can this cake be made eggless??, If so recipe please..
It cannot be made without eggs.
What are the substitutes for
1. sour cream?
Can yoghurt or curd be used instead?
2. heavy cream?
Thanks
Hi Mish. For best results, this recipe should be made exactly as stated. Full-fat greek yogurt will work OK instead of sour cream, but it won’t be exactly the same. Full-fat coconut milk (the thick Thai style kind) might work for heavy cream, but will add a coconut flavor to the cake.
hola,,quisiera saber si puedo usar cafe normal..porque no encuentro en las tiendas espresso powder..y tampoco encuentro Dutch-processed cocoa powder en el supermercado,,podria usar un cocoa normal sin azucar 100%puro
This recipe is absolutely fantastic!!! 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The cake is super moist and the chocolate is decadent I added an extra banana just cuz I had extra. I omitted the espresso bc I didn’t have any. No frosting but it was still very sweet with dark chocolate chips. My kids and I loved it!
Hello
My cake came out perfect but the ganache did not thicken enough to spread even after refrigerating for several hours. It tasted great but was not thick? What did I do wrong? I followed the recipe. Thanks
OMG! I have tested a number of banana bread recipes during our pandemic, this one is truly the best. Thank you so much for this recipe. My family and friends will be enjoying this for a long, long time.
Hey, can I replace the butter with canola oil/coconut oil?
Thanks!
omg made this tonight and we could not believe how incredible it was. will throw out all of my previous chocolate banana cake recipes since this one is THE BOMB!!! thank you!
I absolutely ❤ this recipe!! This is my second time baking it and I’m sure it won’t be the last. The ganache frosting is the best ever! Thank you so much for sharing!
Hi ..
Could the recipes be a video? Because that is better because your recipes are wonderful and need to be applied .
What if I need to make more? Can I just double the ingredients to get double the amount?
Could I use bob’s red mill 1-1 GF flour?
I am quite sad because I dropped the cake on the floor, we still salvaged the half that remained in the pan and it turned out delicious! We don’t have sour cream where I live so substituted it with Greek yoghurt . Everything I was looking for in a banana bread. I usually end up having to half the sugar but I only omitted a bit of sugar in this and it wasn’t too sweet at all. I love the ganache, I used 64% chocolate and love the coffee flavour!
My teenaged son said “That cake slaps!” Apparently that means it’s awesome. I’d better go grab a piece before there’s nothing left…
Lovely! Can this be made in a microwave?
It cannot.
I’ve been dying to try this recipe and made it earlier today. Can’t wait to enjoy it tonight. Your directions are clear and easy to follow. I cooled my ganache for several hours in the frig. but it dig not set up like yours in the picture. I ended up pouring it over top and am sure it’ll be delicious. Is there something I could have done to have it set firmer like the frosting in your photo? Was I supposed to add powdered sugar?