Lusciously moist banana cake with chocolate icing is the simplest recipe that manages to impress! The tender crumb is offset by sliced almonds for a bit of crunch.
This beautifully simple cake is made from a mix of whole wheat and all-purpose flour plus brown sugar for an extra depth of caramelly sweetness. I added sliced almonds to the batter because I do love banana bread or cake with nuts, plus I wanted a bit of crunch.
A bonus to this cake is that no electric mixer is necessary - I'm especially fond of cakes that are quick to put together - because there's no butter. It comes together in a flash. Lush with bananas and bolstered by a sturdy crumb, this is the perfect breakfast cake. "Course you can enjoy it any time. Tea or coffee is essential.
Banana Cake with Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- ¾ cup dark brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil, or vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
- ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt, or regular plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon rum, optional
- ½ cup or more sliced almonds
For the Glaze
- ¼ cup dark brown sugar
- ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- splash warm water
Instructions
Make Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and place a rack in the center. Grease a 9- by 5- inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan, or equivalent — I used a bundt pan.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the olive oil, eggs, mashed banana, yogurt, rum if using, and vanilla. Pour the banana mixture into the flour mixture and fold with a spatula until just combined. Add the sliced almonds.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown, about 40-50 minutes.
- Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out of the pan to cool completely.
Make Glaze:
- While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze. Melt the chocolate on the stove or in the microwave; then whisk in the brown sugar. Keep whisking until sugar dissolves. Add a tablespoon of warm water and whisk. Keep adding water until the glaze is smooth and not-too-thick. (You can decide how thick/not-thick you’d like it.)
- When the cake is completely cool, drizzle the glaze on top of the cake, spreading with a spatula to cover.
Magda says
Hi Nicole. I have just discovered your blog and I realized you're Greek. I am also Greek, from Athens.
I'm so glad to have found your blog, your recipes and photographs are beautiful!
This cake sounds wonderful, the combination of chocolate and bananas is one of my favorites.
art and lemons says
I like Tuesday Treats and the banana almond chocolate combo in this cake. Your co-workers are pretty lucky...
Stefanie says
Insipriation! ...and just in time! I will make this for a co-worker's birthday this week. Love your new Tuesday Treats and Sunday Dinner posts. Happy summer to you!
Anne Zimmerman says
Loved it. And now I want another one with chocolate glaze. Maybe next week. Oh, and can I say how fast we ate this cake? Seriously embarrassingly fast.