For some reason I always end up with a sizeable supply of peeled banana soldiers in ziplock bags waiting patiently to be called into service. During the summer months this isn’t a problem as one of my favourite quick breakfasts is a frozen banana smoothie with the optional additions of oats/chia seeds and milo/frozen berries. Winter isn’t really the weather for frozen drinks and my freezer was overrun with bananas so I decided to make a cake. Yes a banana cake. Not banana bread. Bread has yeast. Cake does not. Why do people insist on calling it banana cake? It makes no sense!
Since I love a banana and milo combo in my smoothie I figured a chocolate banana cake would taste just as good. This cake almost had Stuart fooled as his sensitive gag reflex and beagle nose means a number of smells are not his friend and ripe banana is one of them. I used Dutch cocoa so the cake has a big chocolate hit which is really decadent and delicious. I figured there was enough sugar in the cake so I didn’t bother icing it, but I have included a caramel icing recipe just in case.
Ingredients
Cake
- 50g butter
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1 3/4 cup self raising flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Icing
- 200g butter, room temperature
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 3 tsp milk
Method
- Preheat your oven to 160C. Chuck your silicon loaf pan on the bench (or line a traditional tin with baking paper…).
- Beat butter and sugar together until pale and creamy. Add banana, egg and milk and mix well.
- Add dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. If the cake is browning and not cooked through, cover loosely with foil.
- For the icing, beat ingredients together until light and fluffy. Ice the cooled cake and enjoy!
