Crispy Chocolate Banana Cake
Banana is an incredibly versatile ingredient in all kinds of desserts — think bars, pies, puddings, cookies, and more. One of my favorite ways to use it is in cake. I love how banana makes the cake naturally sweet and wonderfully moist.
Another winning combination is banana and chocolate. But what makes this recipe extra special is the texture and crunch. The filling doesn’t just include cocoa powder, but also extra dark chocolate chips for a rich chocolate flavor. And to top it off, a salty, crunchy pumpkin seed topping adds the perfect finishing touch and takes the flavor to the next level.
It’s also a great way to use up overripe bananas — the darker they are, the better the result!
Ingredients (1 loaf of -/+12 slices):
3 very ripe bananas
180 g self-raising flour
130 g unsalted butter (melted)
160 g light brown sugar* (or brown sugar)
2 eggs (room temperature)
1 teaspoon of vanilla-extract
1/2 teaspoon of sea salt
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
40 g cacao powder (unprocessed)
130 g dark chocolate chips
60 g roasted pumpkin seeds (or hazelnuts, walnuts, pecan’s)
*In Belgium you will know this as ‘kinnekessuiker’
Directions:
Grease and line a loaf tin with baking parchment, leaving the paper hanging about 2 cm above the edges — this makes it easier to lift the cake out after baking.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon, and sea salt. Set aside.
Mash the bananas in a bowl until they are soft & smooth. Add in the sugar, melted butter & vanilla-extract. Whisk in the eggs 1 by 1 and stir until smooth.
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture — be careful not to overmix. Stir in 2/3 of the chocolate chips.
Pour the batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle over the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate chips followed with the roasted pumpkin seeds. Finish with a good sprinkle of sea salt.
Place the tin in a preheated oven at 170°C for about 50-60 minutes.
Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes (easier to remove).
Take the cake out of the tin and let it cool down on a cooling rack.
Note: This cake will stay good for about -/+ 4 days if you wrap this in plastic and store in a air-free box.
Nina Beckers
