Banana Chocolate Chip Cake is super moist and has the best chocolate cream cheese frosting! It’s rich, sweet, and perfect for breakfast, snacking, or after dinner dessert!
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Need a recipe for those bananas that have been sitting on your counter slowly going bad but you want something other than Banana Bread or classic Banana Cake? Don’t worry, banana chocolate chip cake is the answer to your banana prayers! Sweet bananas mixed with chocolate chips make this treat rich and decadent while still giving you a fluffy cake. The added homemade chocolate frosting really takes it up a notch for a rich and divine taste that makes this cake a perfect dessert any time of year.
How Can I Ripen Bananas Quickly?
Isn’t it the worst when you have bananas going to waste but don’t have time to make anything with them until it’s too late but then when you have the time, the bananas are too fresh? Well if you want to hasten the ripening process you can place the whole bunch of bananas (leave them bunched, they ripen faster when still connected) into a brown paper bag with an apple and seal it. This traps the gasses the bananas release and will speed up their ripening. It won’t happen instantly but it does ripen them within a day or two.
How To Make Banana Chocolate Chip Cake:
- Whisk. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
- Whip. Using a stand mixer or a hand mixer and sturdy bowl, whip the butter. Add in the sugar and continue whipping until the mixture is fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add. Carefully add the eggs one at a time. Mix until combined. Then add in the mashed bananas, buttermilk, and vanilla. Mix once more until incorporated.
- Fold. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until mostly combined. Add the chocolate chips and gently fold them in until everything is fully combined.
- Bake. Spread the batter evenly into the pan and bake for 20-25 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when done.
Storing Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Any leftover banana chocolate chip cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. If you have leftover frosting, that can be stored separately for up to 1 week.
For the cake:
- Flour – The base for all our baking endeavors, make sure to sift it to avoid lumps in your batter.
- Baking Soda and Baking Powder: Check your labels and make sure that neither of these are expired!
- Salt – A dash to elevate the sweet flavors in both the bananas and chocolate.
- Salted Butter – You can use unsalted if you prefer. You may want to add another dash of salt if so.
- Granulated Sugar – While the bananas themselves are naturally very sweet, we do still need some sugar to balance everything out.
- Eggs – You’ll need 3 large eggs and be sure to let them sit and reach room temperature before mixing. It does make a difference!
- Bananas – 1 cup is needed here. You want to make sure your bananas are very soft and overripe. The browner the better.
- Buttermilk – Don’t have buttermilk on hand? You can substitute sour cream or a mixture of milk and lemon juice.
- Vanilla – The vanilla adds warmth to the cake but if you’re feeling extra you can throw in a dash of banana extract for an even more fruity flavor.
- Chocolate Chips – I like to use semi sweet chocolate chips. You can use milk, dark, or whatever you prefer.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/2 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Cup Salted Butter at room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
- 3 Large Eggs at room temperature
- 1 Cup Mashed Banana
- 1/4 Cup Buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 Cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
For the Frosting:
- 16 Ounces Cream Cheese at room temperature
- 1 Stick Salted Butter at room temperature
- 1/2 Cup Cocoa Powder
- 2 Tablespoons Milk divided
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 2-3 Cups Powdered Sugar
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and spray with non-stick spray.
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.
- Whip the butter in a large bowl then add the sugar and mix until creamy and fluffy, about 4 minutes.
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix until fully combined then add the banana, buttermilk, and vanilla and mix again to combine.
- Fold in the dry ingredients until mostly combined then fold in the chocolate chips and spread the batter evenly into the pan.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.
- Let the cake cool for 20-30 minutes before frosting.
For the Frosting:
- Beat together the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth.
- Add in the cocoa powder and pour in a tablespoon of milk and vanilla then mix again until combined.
- Add in the powdered sugar and beat for 2-3 minutes, adding another Tablespoon of milk if needed to think out to your liking.
- Once the cake is cool to the touch, spread on the frosting then decorate with banana slices if desired before slicing and serving.
