This chocolate banana cake with a peanut butter cream cheese frosting combines all of my family's favorite flavors! The light cake is full of chocolate and banana richness without being an overly sweet dessert, perfect for baking up all the time! So grab those ripe bananas, and let's get started!
Chocolate Banana Cake Recipe
This tasty chocolate cake is filled with delicious fruity banana flavor and is perfect for overripe bananas! Top it with my favorite peanut butter cream cheese frosting, and you have a delightfully light cake with a relatively low-sugar frosting that you can always serve!
My family absolutely loves the whole peanut butter - chocolate - banana flavor combination, so this simple 9x13 cake has been requested more times than I can count! I love that everything I need is always available in my pantry!
Jump to:
This chocolate banana cake is sure to hit the spot! If you have more ripe bananas on hand, make sure to take a look at all of my favorite banana recipes!
🥘 Chocolate Banana Cake Ingredients
You'll need some typical cake ingredients, your favorite frosting, and some overly ripe bananas! The riper the bananas, the sweeter they are!
- Bananas - 3 large, overripe bananas.
- Eggs - 3 large eggs at room temperature.
- Milk - ¼ cup of milk.
- Coconut Oil - ¾ cup of coconut oil (or unsalted butter), melted.
- Vanilla Extract - 1½ teaspoons of pure vanilla extract.
- Cocoa - 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder.
- Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons of baking powder.
- Salt - 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Flour - 1½ cups of all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled.
- Frosting - I recommend trying out my homemade peanut butter cream cheese frosting, but you can use your favorite variety!
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Chocolate Banana Cake
I'm using a one-bowl method to keep this moist and flavorful cake quick and easy too! Mash your bananas and get ready to enjoy this dessert snack cake in no time at all! Just grab a mixing bowl, a 9x13 baking dish, and a wire cooling rack.
This recipe will make one 9x13 chocolate banana cake, which is equal to about 12 servings.
Make The Cake Batter
- Preheat. Start out by preheating your oven to 350ºF (175ºC) and coating a 9x13 baking pan with butter, oil, or a non-stick baking spray.
- Mash. In a large mixing bowl, mash 3 browned bananas using a fork. Mash the bananas until they are pretty finely broken up and there are no large chunks remaining.
- Add wet ingredients. Stir in 3 eggs, ¼ cup of milk, ¾ cup of coconut oil, and 1½ teaspoons of vanilla extract. The batter will be VERY wet until the flour is added.
- Stir. Next, stir in 3 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir to combine, then add 1½ cups of flour and stir until the flour is thoroughly incorporated. If the bananas were mashed finely, there should be no large clumps in the finished batter.
- Pour. Transfer your chocolate banana cake batter to the prepared baking pan. Tap the pan on the counter if needed to spread out the batter into an even layer.
Bake & Frost The Cake
- Bake. Transfer your cake pan to the center rack of the preheated oven and bake at 350ºF (175ºC) for 20 - 25 minutes. The cake is done when a knife or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool. Remove from your oven and transfer to a wire cooling rack. Cool the cake completely if you will be frosting the cake. Otherwise, it can be sliced and served while still slightly warm!
- Serve. Mix your frosting as directed, or use your favorite store-bought frosting. Spread icing or frosting over the top of the cake using an offset spatula until you have an even layer of frosting over your cake. Slice, serve, and then enjoy!
I'm a huge fan of the banana and peanut butter combination, but you can try out any of these delicious buttercream frosting recipes as well! Just pick out your favorite flavor combination! Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- The chocolate banana cake comes free of the baking pan easily. Use a sheet of parchment paper on top of the cake with a cooling rack on top of the paper, then flip the cake onto the cooling rack. You can flip it back, if desired, to face the right side up using a secondary cooling rack.
- Make this cake extra indulgent by swapping out the peanut butter frosting for chocolate buttercream!
- You'll want to make sure that you are using extra-ripe bananas for the best results. Aim for bananas that are covered with brown spots.
🥡 Storing
Store your cake in an airtight container in the fridge for a few days. It even tastes great when it is chilled, so there's no reason to bring it back up to room temperature if you don't want to!
Freezing Chocolate Banana Cake
Cut your cake into individual slices and then store them in airtight bags or storage containers. When ready, allow them to thaw in the fridge overnight.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
While both of these treats are made using ripe bananas, they do have some differences. Banana bread is made in a loaf pan and is much more firm and dense. Banana cake is lighter, prepared in a baking dish, and topped off with frosting!
Yes! Freezing your ripe bananas is a great way to make sure that you always have some on hand for baking. Just allow them to thaw out before mashing them. Take a look at my thorough guide on freezing and thawing bananas for baking!
If you are craving this rich and decadent cake but don't have any ultra-ripe bananas- don't fret! Simply place your bananas onto a baking sheet and pop them into the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes, or until the peel is black and the bananas are soft. Let them cool before mashing.
🍌 Tasty Banana Recipes
- Double Chocolate Banana Bread - Incredibly decadent banana bread that is topped with both chocolate ganache and chocolate chips.
- Banana Mug Cake - A single-serving cake that will satisfy your sweet tooth in a snap!
- Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins - Freezer-friendly muffins that can start your day off right!
- Banana Pudding Poke Cake - Yellow cake is covered with banana pudding and then topped with both Nilla wafers and whipped cream!
- Peanut Butter Banana Brownies - Brownies are prepared with mashed bananas, swirled with peanut butter, and then baked to perfection.
- Chocolate Chip Banana Nut Bread Pudding - Classic bread pudding is elevated in this sweet and rich version!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Chocolate Banana Cake
Ingredients
Chocolate Banana Cake
- 3 large bananas (overripe)
- 3 large eggs (room temperature)
- ¼ cup milk
- ¾ cup coconut oil (or unsalted butter, melted)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoon cocoa
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
Frosting
- 1 peanut butter cream cheese frosting (or your favorite frosting)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Start by preheating your oven to 350°F (175°C) and coating your 9 x 13 baking pan with butter or non-stick baking spray.
- In a large mixing bowl, use a fork to mash the overripe bananas.
- Add the eggs, milk, coconut oil, vanilla, cocoa, baking powder, salt and mix thoroughly.
- Add in the flour, stirring until the flour is thoroughly incorporated (it will be a runny batter with small lumps once the flour is combined well).
- Pour batter into a 9x13 greased cake pan and place in the oven on the center rack. Bake a 350°F (175°C) for 20 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting, if desired.
Notes
- The chocolate banana cake comes free of the baking pan easily. Use a sheet of parchment paper on top of the cake with a cooling rack on top of the paper, then flip the cake onto the cooling rack. You can flip it back, if desired, to face the right side up using a secondary cooling rack.
- Make this cake extra indulgent by swapping out the peanut butter frosting for chocolate buttercream!
- You'll want to make sure that you are using extra-ripe bananas for the best results. Aim for bananas that are covered with brown spots.
Comments
No Comments