Chocolate Banana Cake plus Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
This straightforward chocolate banana cake is speedy to make, extremely plush, and packed with tons of banana flavor. Topped with a chocolate cream cheese frosting!
Say hello to one of the easiest, most rich banana cakes you’ll ever meet.
Carrian and Cade from Oh, Sweet Basil just released their first cookbook, Our Sweet Basil Kitchen, and we were so thrilled to get our hands on it. We've always loved their blog, especially their focus on family and fresh, rich meals. In addition to tons of memorable dinner recipes, the selection of desserts in the book is fantastic. We can’t wait to try them all, but this recipe for chocolate banana cake jumped off the page at us and we made it within days of getting the book. We made a banana snack cake with cream cheese frosting a number of years ago, and was excited to try this one with a chocolate spin.
Turns out, it’s fabulous (we know, shocking to no one)!
Straightforward banana cakes have to be one of life’s simplest pleasures, right? They’re so cozy and always rich, never dry and always plush, and when you throw in chocolate and frosting? Banana cake perfection!
We served this up for dessert a few Sundays ago and everyone loved it. The most common reaction was, “wow! you can REALLY taste the banana!” Our uncle was pleasantly surprised as someone who doesn’t like cake but LOVES banana flavor – he thought it was phenomenal.
If you need A straightforward dessert that’s sure to please, bake up this straightforward chocolate banana cake, and don’t forget the chocolate cream cheese frosting – it’s divine!
Five years ago: English Muffin Bread
Six years ago: Oreo Cheesecake Cookies
Seven years ago: Irish Soda Bread Scones
Chocolate Banana Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Yield: 9 servings This straightforward chocolate banana cake is speedy to make, extremely plush, and packed with tons of banana flavor. Topped with a chocolate cream cheese frosting!For the Cake
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (43 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) salt
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup (110 g) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon (0.5 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1 cup (225 g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 small bananas)
For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ounces (56.7 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch salt
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking salt and salt.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, both sugars, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, add one-third of the flour mixture and mix briefly. Add half of the mashed banana and mix again. Add half of the remaining flour mixture and mix briefly, then add the rest of the mashed banana, and the remaining flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing. Do not overmix with the mixer!
- Spread the batter in an even layer and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool to slightly warm or room temperature.
- Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, cocoa powder, and salt on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
- Spread the frosting over the cake and serve. The cake can be stored, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 9 servings
- Prep: 30 minutes
- Cook: 30 minutes
- Total: 1 hour
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup ( 125 g ) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup ( 43 g ) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) baking soda
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) salt
- ¼ cup ( 56.75 g ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ½ cup ( 110 g ) light brown sugar
- ¼ cup ( 50 g ) granulated sugar
- 2 eggs, slightly beaten
- ½ teaspoon ( 0.5 teaspoon ) vanilla extract
- 1 cup ( 225 g ) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 small bananas)
For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 cups ( 240 g ) powdered sugar
- ¼ cup ( 56.75 g ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2 ounces ( 56.7 g ) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- Pinch salt
Method
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x9-inch baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking salt and salt.
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, both sugars, eggs and vanilla on medium speed until smooth and creamy, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low, add one-third of the flour mixture and mix briefly. Add half of the mashed banana and mix again. Add half of the remaining flour mixture and mix briefly, then add the rest of the mashed banana, and the remaining flour mixture. Use a rubber spatula to finish mixing. Do not overmix with the mixer!
- Spread the batter in an even layer and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted 1 inch from the edge of the pan comes out clean. Place the cake on a wire rack to cool to slightly warm or room temperature.
- Make the Frosting: Using an electric mixer, beat the powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, heavy cream, cocoa powder, and salt on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape the bowl once or twice.
- Spread the frosting over the cake and serve. The cake can be stored, covered with plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 3 days.
