Description
This chocolate banana loaf has the best of both worlds – imagine a super moist banana bread meets a melt in your mouth chocolate cake. It is so fabulous and so simple to make I guarantee you will make it time and time again!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 & 1/2 cups (225g) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 1/2 cup (60g) dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
- 1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking (bicarbonate of) soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 large ripe bananas, pureed or mashed (see note 1)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup rice bran oil (or other flavourless oil)
- 1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature (see note 2)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (100g) milk chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the over to 180C conventional or 160C fan-forced. Grease and line a 20cm x 10cm loaf tin with baking (greaseproof) paper allowing it to overhang slightly.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sifted cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt making sure to break up any clumps of flour or sugar.
- In a separate bowl or large measuring jug, whisk together the pureed bananas, eggs, oil, sour cream and vanilla extract.
- Add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix together until just combined and the batter is dark chocolate colour. Be careful not to over-mix.
- Gently fold in the chocolate chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when tested.
- Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 20 minutes. After that, gently lift the loaf out of the tin using the overhanging baking paper. Carefully remove the baking paper and allow the loaf to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Slice and enjoy!
Notes
- Bananas: I like to use a stick blender to puree the bananas before using as it makes it very easy to incorporate into the batter. You could use a mini food processor as well. Alternatively, you can mash the bananas by hand using a fork – you may however see chunks of banana speckled throughout the loaf once baked. Don’t worry, this won’t have any effect on the flavour of the loaf!
- Sour cream: You can substitute plain yoghurt or buttermilk.
- Storage: Store the loaf in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
- Freezing: You can also freeze the loaf for 2 to 3 months wrapped in two layers of clingfilm and then in foil. I recommend pre-slicing the loaf and placing sheets of baking paper in between each slice before freezing – this makes it easy to defrost individual portions.
Keywords: Chocolate Loaf, Banana