Friday 11 April 2014

Chocolate Banana Cake


This is one of the earliest cakes that I baked when I first dabbled in baking two years ago. I was very inexperienced and took the cake out too early. It looked baked as the top was firm and already set. But when I cut the cake, oh dear! The middle was still wet and gooey. But.....I tell you, it tasted so gooood! I could have just scooped that gooey batter and kept on eating it but I was not sure if I would get sick. I threw the cake away as it wasn't any good to keep or share an under baked cake.


Very hard to photograph brown cakes. Had to adjust the lighting during editing. This slice is plain and unadorned like Pam Anderson without make-up.

I have since baked this cake a few more times and it is one of the easiest chocolate cakes to bake. There is no need to use an electric mixer and you just mix the wet and dry ingredients together. Pretty much like making muffins.


As the cake uses oil and not butter, the cake stays soft even if you keep it in the fridge. This time, I may have used a bit too much bananas and the cake was more on the dense and fudgy side.  I was desperate to use up very ripe bananas which explains the banana overkill. 


Because ripe bananas are very sweet, I have reduced the sugar content quite drastically. The original recipe from Joy of Baking calls for 400g of sugar to 245g of flour. To me, this amount of sugar is astounding. I merely added 50g of brown sugar, taking into account the sweetness that would come from the chocolate ganache. If there was no topping, I would add about 100g of sugar.


As I mentioned earlier, I added more than the recommended amount of bananas and my cake was extremely chewy and fudgy. But this texture coupled with the very chocolaty ganache made it perfect, like eating chocolate fudge. If you add only one cup (mine was about 2.5 cups) of mashed bananas, you will get a softer texture which is better. I find that this recipe uses quite a lot of cocao powder and if you prefer a milder cocoa flavor you can reduce the amount accordingly.










Chocolate Banana Cake
Recipe source : Adapted from Joy Of Baking

Ingredients :
- 250g self raising flour
- 75 cocoa powder (I find this amount a bit too strong, please adjust according to your taste)
- 50g brown sugar (if I am not doing a chocolate ganache topping, I would up sugar to 100g)(original recipe 400g)
- 2 eggs
- 2 medium sized bananas (1 cup), mashed
- 1 cup warm water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup oil
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract

Method :
1. Sift flour and cocoa powder. Add sugar and use a whisk to mix the flour, cocoa powder and sugar. Set aside.
2. In another mixing bowl add eggs, water, milk, oil, vanilla extract and mashed bananas. Whisk to mix evenly.
3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently fold to mix until well incorporated.
4. Pour batter into a lined 9" pan and bake at 160C for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Chocolate Ganache
Ingredients :
- 100g dark semi-sweet chocolate, break into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 100ml whipping cream

Method :
1. Put chocolate and butter into a heatproof container. Set aside.
2. Put whipping cream into a saucepan and bring to a boil.
3. Pour boiling cream into the chocolate and butter.
4. Let stand for 5 minutes and stir until you get a thick glossy chocolate mixture.
5. Set aside to cool or pour while still warm onto cake.

51 comments:

  1. Sekali pandang the title I immediately think of Secret Recipe’s famous chocolate-banana cake liao.. But yours look so easy to make.. And when I see “no mixer” is required, I go all crazy.. I have a confession to make.. I don’t use the mixer.. I make everything using a fork (or spoon).. Ok, a whisk – max.. I have a mixer, given to me by my sis as my house warming gift, and it’s still there, unopened.. Psstt, I don’t even use the scale (I use the cup, I assume 1 cup = 100g).. Criticize all you want, told you I’m lazy. I’m bookmarking this recipe.. It looks so easy to make.. To take a short cut, maybe I’ll just squeeze (ready) chocolate fudge on top.. Thanks for posting this recipe on a Friday morning, rasa macam can fly liao, yay !

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    1. Ok, already snapped the recipe using my phone.. More senang like this.. Better than writing it down kan?

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    2. yup...screenshot in the phone..hahaha...i think i can do till the cake part ...but the chocolate part sound too complicated for me

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    3. Princess Ribbon : Actually I also lazy to use mixer but most of the recipes that I use require creaming of butter or beating egg whites till stiff. Because lazy to use muscles punya pasal, I no choice but to use mixer. And I hate washing it afterwards especially after creaming butter. Anyways, this cake is good and so easy. But take note of the cocoa powder. I feel that it is a bit strong at 75g. Can reduce a bit. Selamat mencuba!

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    4. Small Kucing : The chocolate part mana ada complicated? Just boil the whipping cream and dump it onto the chocolate and butter. Leave a while and then stir-stir. Lepas tu, lick the spoon hee...hee...

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  2. slurppppp.....yum yum


    ahem... for me? kekeke...nah joking.

    the banana decoration...for snapping photo only is it? If not, how can we keep the banana slices from turning brown? tips pls.

    Thanks

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    1. Ya, for deco only but I did leave it on the cake. It became brown after a while. I think can prevent browning by coating it with lemon juice but that will spoil the taste. Seriously, if we ever get to meet up, I will let you sample my cake :)

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    2. Made ...sob sob....mine looks horrible lol....wait one or two weeks will come up with basi post on my cake ......

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    3. But can eat or not? Waiting for your post :)

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  3. wow! It makes me drooling!
    Friend ,I feel so touch with this slice of moist and dense chocolate banana cake to welcome me back ,he.........................(pipi tebal sikitlah).

    Anyway thanks again for sharing such wonderful recipe that my family definitely will like it.

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    1. Hi Aunty Young! So....what did you buy for me? (Ini lagi pipi tebal hah...hah....)

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  4. Gosh!!! That looks soooo sinful! So moist, so rich, so alluring.... Wish I could sample.

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    1. Arthur, try this. Melt some chocolate (or ask Melissa to make the chocolate ganache) and dip bananas into it and eat. It is really good!

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  5. Love recipe from JoyOfBaking.....and Im sure this cake you baked have made you love every bits of it.

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    1. Mel, what I like is some of their recipes come with video. That was how I learnt to bake!

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  6. mmmmmmmm very luscious looking chocolate cake. Banana and chocolate goes really well.

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    1. Hi Gertrude! Yes, chocolate and bananas are really yummy!

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  7. HI Phong Hong, thanks for sharing a chocolate cake using oil. My kitchen can run out of butter but not oil, so it's good to have this type of recipe in hand. Honestly, PH your cakes always look soo....tempting.

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    1. Hi Kimmy! Thank you for the compliments! It is quite convenient to use oil instead of butter. And the cake stays soft even when refrigerated.

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  8. aiyoh, at first i thought this is just some very sinfully delicious brownies topped with banana slices!! cannot see a hint of banana in the cake, but as i read on the recipe, ah, the bananas are mashed into the dough itself.. fuyoh, nice lah, looks chocolatey but then when you bite, it gives you rich banana taste also.. LOVE this, can open your own Resipi Rahsia already lah, and I surely will go buy cake from you~~ :D

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    1. SK, so you are my first customer lah hah...hah....But no lah, no open shop because once baking becomes a career then it will become stressful. I will keep it as a hobby :)

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  9. Hi Phong Hong,
    Such a divine looking choc banana cake! Looks so chocolaty fudgy and moist! With this cake around, diet is out of the question! :)

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    1. Hi Joyce! You are right. I had one big slice hah...hah......sooobss....

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  10. I love chocolate cake! I don't make nearly enough cakes.. that's because frosting gets everywhere somehow...

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    1. Hi Cathleen! Yeah, I know. The frosting goes to wrong places.....

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  11. OMG 400g sugar, I would faint too. Plus bananas are sweet too. Good idea to cut down the sugar.

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    1. Yen, it's amazing the amount of sugar Americans consume. I find it unbelievable!

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  12. I sudah mogok .....semua barang manis manis.....savoury please....pretty please

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  13. Hi Phong Hong,
    Oh!! Your banana chocolate cake looks YUM!!
    Love the ganache topping! A piece for my tea please :)
    mui

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    1. Hi mui mui! Since you like the cake, you can have as many pieces as you like!

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  14. From certain point of view, your cake looks like my gooey brownies, I also love it too, haha. I actually never have chocolate banana cake b4, so now waiting for you to belanjar me, ok?

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    1. Jessie, can, can! Anytime can belanja you. Yah, they do look like brownies. Eh, I should bake brownies soon :)

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  15. Love banana and chocolate combination, the ganache on top is an added bonus :)

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    1. Yes, the ganache makes it extra yummy!

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  16. As always, the story behind told by you is very interesting!
    Do you think this recipe would also be good for muffins?

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    1. Ola, I suggest you try the cupcake version here :

      http://phonghongbakes.blogspot.com/2012/07/banana-chocolate-cupcakes.html

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  17. OMG! Phong Hong, you bake like a pro! Those melting chocolates are making my knees weak!!

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    1. Hah,,,hah...Shirley, don't fall down LOL!

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  18. Hi Phong Hong, you this cake look like to die for kind. It is exceptionally good and the ganache is calling my name. LOL

    Best regards.

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    1. Amelia, your name is written all over it LOL!

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  19. I love dense cakes and this one looks to die for!!! Totally irresistible!!!

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    1. Hi Lizzy! I only like them dense only if they are fudgy chocolate cakes. The rest I prefer them fluffy.

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  20. Hi Phong Hong, this is such a beautiful cake. My family will love it.
    The sugar is sooo much! I think I'll reduce the sugar further...

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  21. I heard chocolate and bananas paired really well but have not tasted it before, your cake looks really delicious so it must be true huh! Got to try it one day just to satisfy my curiosity about the taste.

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    1. Aiya, Jeannie you must try it! If you dip bananas in melted chocolate I bet you can faint LOL!

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  22. Great way to use up overripe bananas! It looks really nice and fudgy!

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    1. Hi Wok and Spoon! It is so fudgy and chocolaty that I wanted to eat more but stopped myself hah..hah...

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  23. Chocolate and banana is definitely a perfect combination. Your cake looks so good.

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    1. Thanks, Mich! I love chocolate and bananas :)

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