Banana-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
This banana snack cake is fluffy and plush, loaded with chocolate chips, and topped with a simple cream cheese frosting. It’s straightforward to mix, which makes it reliable for last-minute company or an after-school snack!
Let’s talk banana cake. More specifically, banana snack cake.
Is it just us, or does referring to something as a snack cake make it so much more forgiving to have a piece in the middle of the afternoon, or even for breakfast? As in, it’s not just dessert, to be eaten after dinner, right? This is an all-occasion, any time of day cake, and we absolutely love it. Plus, there are chocolate chips, so double win. Oh, did we mention cream cheese frosting? Triple win.
If you have a few ripe bananas sitting on your counter, we're pretty sure that your day needs this banana-chocolate chip snack cake.
Four years ago, we also made a banana snack cake that we totally loved. We still do love it, but these are two different snack cakes, and we think we love this one just a smidge more.
The old one was quite dense, much like our grandma’s banana bread recipe, so it was kind of like eating banana bread, but as a sheet cake. Which isn’t bad, but this one is so much more cake-like; it’s tall and fluffy while still being plush thanks to the bananas. And we don’t need to tell you that the addition of chocolate chips puts it over the edge for us.
The recipe calls the cream cheese frosting “optional”, but we mean, do you know us? Frosting is NEVER optional! It’s a small amount of frosting compared to the height of the cake, so it’s not like you’re drowning the cake in it – go ahead and slather it on and don’t look back.
This banana-chocolate chip snack cake shot right on up to the top five of go-to straightforward recipes that can be made quickly should you need a fabulous dessert on short notice.
We'd like to play around with it to see how it would hold up as a layer cake; our mom made a banana layer cake one weekend when we came home from college with a friend, and we've thought about it ever since, but we've asked her and we don’t think she still has the recipe. We've yet to find a banana layer cake recipe that was as good! We'll need to experiment!
In the meantime, GO MAKE THIS CAKE!
One year ago: Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
Two years ago: Coconut Bundt Cake with White Chocolate-Coconut Glaze
Five years ago: From-scratch Butterscotch Sauce
Six years ago: S’mores Cupcakes
Banana-Chocolate Chip Snack Cake
Yield: 9 servings A plush, fluffy banana cake studded with chocolate chips and topped with cream cheese frosting.For the Cake
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) salt
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (122 ml) whole milk
- 1 cup (180 g) semisweet chocolate chips
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon (0.75 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add the bananas and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, scraping down the bowl as needed. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar; beat until thoroughly combined, then add the vanilla extract, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth, an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake and serve. The cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 9 servings
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 50 minutes
- Total: 1 hour 20 minutes
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 2 cups ( 250 g ) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon ( 0.75 teaspoon ) salt
- ½ cup ( 113.5 g ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups ( 300 g ) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 to 3 medium bananas)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup ( 122 ml ) whole milk
- 1 cup ( 180 g ) semisweet chocolate chips
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces ( 113.4 g ) cream cheese, cut into 4 pieces, at room temperature
- ¼ cup ( 56.75 g ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup ( 120 g ) powdered sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ( 0.75 teaspoon ) vanilla extract
Method
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
- Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat until combined. Add the bananas and vanilla extract and beat until incorporated.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk in two additions, scraping down the bowl as needed. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate chips.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and smooth the top into an even layer. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar; beat until thoroughly combined, then add the vanilla extract, increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until completely smooth, an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Spread the frosting evenly over the top of the cake and serve. The cake can be stored, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
