Chocolate Banana Bread

Posted: 11/11/2011 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: cakes, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, banana, banana bread, cake, chocolate, chocolate banana bread, recipes, tea loaf | 11 Comments »

Chocolate Banana Bread

Ya know, I don’t want to say I’m obsessed with cake, but I do spend a lot of time thinking about it. Much more than the average person I suppose. I think about important things too; world peace, the economy, and conservation. But, at the end of the day when my psyche needs a little relaxation…I think about cake.

The cake I decided to bake today contains all the ingredients that I hold near and dear to me; melted chocolate, bananas, toasted nuts and chocolate chips. And, just to kick things up a notch, I included the addition of Vietnamese cinnamon. So, this way, I can savor all my favorites in one tasty bite. This cake is easy to make and has a nice layering of flavors. Even if you don’t think about cake very much, you might still want to give this one a try. It’s real good!

Chocolate Banana Bread

Adapted from Tyler’s Ultimate

1 stick butter, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon Vietnamese cinnamon (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 large eggs
3 very ripe bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup lightly toasted walnuts

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or spray a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
Stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter until lightened, then beat in the chocolate, eggs, bananas and vanilla. Stir in the dry ingredients until incorporated. Do not over mix. Gently stir in the chips and walnuts.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out almost clean, 50-60 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a rack to cool for at least 15 minutes before unmolding.

Makes 1 loaf

Recipe: Easy

“Top Banana” – Banana Bread with Mini Chocolate Chips & Toasted Pecans

Posted: 08/10/2011 | Author: Mama's Gotta Bake | Filed under: Bread, cakes, desserts, recipes | Tags: baking, banana, banana bread, quick bread, recipes, toasted pecans, whole wheat flour | 8 Comments »

Let’s face it, when you get to be a certain age you can’t always eat everything and anything you want. In my younger days I could live for a week on nothing but chocolate chip cookies. I really could. Those days are over, and that’s why I can only make this particular cake once every couple of months, because I’ve been known to eat the entire thing. Banana, chocolate and pecans is my all-time favorite flavor combination.

This is a dense, moist cake and it’s full of banana flavor. Just make sure you use overly ripe bananas. Also, I use the mini-chips because the regular sized chocolate chips will overwhelm the banana, and it’s the banana that’s the star of this cake. And then, I love the added crunch the toasted pecans add to the cake. For me, this is the ultimate in comfort food.

Banana Bread

Adapted from Silver Palate Cookbook

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup whole wheat flour

3 large, ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup toasted, coarsely chopped pecans

3/4 cup mini semi-sweet morsels

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 x 5 x 3 in loaf pan.

2. In bowl of electric mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one a time until incorporated.

3. Sift all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt together, stir in whole wheat flour and add to creamed mixture, mixing well.

4. Fold in mashed bananas, vanilla, nuts and chips.

5. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then place on cooling rack.

Makes 1 loaf