Have you ever found yourself with a bunch of overripe bananas and wondered what delicious creation you could whip up besides banana bread? Well, that’s exactly what happened to me recently. Instead of letting those bananas go to waste, I decided to experiment by substituting them for carrots in my Brazilian Carrot Cake recipe. The result? A delectable Chocolate Covered Banana Cake that’s the perfect combination of fluffy sweet cake and a rich brigadero chocolate ganache.
Truly a match made in heaven
The Inspiration
The night before I had a dream about my Brazilian Carrot Cake. But when i woke up, I had all the ingredients, except for the carrots. I did have some over ripe bananas though! Bananas are naturally sweet and moist, making them an ideal ingredient for baking. Plus, they pair beautifully with the chocolate brigadero ganache, adding a rich and creamy dimension to the cake. The result: A delectable Chocolate Covered Banana Cake that’s the perfect combination of flavors and textures. Let me tell you, this creation did not disappoint!
Ingredients!
Cake:
- 3 overripe bananas
- 3 large eggs
- 1.5 cups of sugar (adjust based on the sweetness of your bananas) i use cane sugar.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup of milk, any kind (I use my homemade cashew milk)
- 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt, sour cream, or crème fraîche
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda, sifted
- A pinch of salt
Chocolate Brigadero Ganache:
- 6 ounces of semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate, your preference
- 1 can, 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter, I prefer salted
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup milk, any kind (I use my homemade cashew milk)
Substitutions:
- To make this dairy free: substitute your favorite dairy-free milk. Instead of sweetened and condensed milk, you can use coconut condensed milk instead. And for the butter substitute with olive oil or coconut oil. all 1:1 ratios.
- Make your own home made cashew milk with my no strain recipe!
- To make this gluten free: use a 1:1 gluten free baking flour like this one from Bob’s Redmill.
- To make this refined sugar free: use raw cane sugar or coconut sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
Instructions :
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a bundt cake pan or a regular cake pan.
- Blend the wet ingredients: In a blender, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, greek yogurt, and milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the mixture: into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the oil. (Don’t put the oil in the blender or it will emulsify creating a heavier more dense cake.)
- Sift the dry ingredients: Into the large mixing bowl with the wet mixture. Stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep your cake light and fluffy.
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the ganache: in a medium sauce pan combine the chocolate chips, butter, and condensed milk. Heat over medium/low. Be careful not to burn the chocolate as it will not come out smooth. Stir frequently until melted together and add in the milk to get the perfect pourable consistancy. If its too thick add more milk.
- Pour: The ganache over the cake. If you made a bundt cake pour some of the ganache in the center hole, true Brazilian style!
- Enjoy: Slice and serve your Chocolate Covered Banana Cake with a cup of coffee or tea. Savor the moist, flavorful goodness in every bite! Don’t forget to spread some of the extra center ganache on top!
Enjoy!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Natural Sweetness: Overripe bananas bring a natural sweetness, allowing you to reduce added sugar.
- Moist and Tender: Bananas add moisture, resulting in a cake that is soft and tender.
- Flavor Fusion: The combination of banana and chocolate is a match made in heaven, offering a delightful flavor experience.
- Easy to Make: This recipe is straightforward and perfect for using up overripe bananas.
Tips for Success
- Use Overripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your cake will be.
- Don’t over blend: do not over blend and hand whisk in the oil for a fluffy cake.
- Adjust Sweetness: Depending on your preference and the ripeness of your bananas, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar.
- Low heat: for the chocolate ganache heat over medium low to low heat. If you burn the chocolate, it will not come out smooth.
Chocolate Covered Banana Cake
A delectable Chocolate Covered Banana Cake that’s the perfect combination of fluffy sweet cake and a rich brigadero chocolate ganache.
Equipment
- 1 bundt cake pan, 9"x 13" cake pan, or 10 in round cake pan
- 1 Blender
- 1 large mixing bowl
- 1 medium sauce pan
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 overripe bananas
- 3 large eggs
- 1.5 cups of sugar adjust based on the sweetness of your bananas i use cane sugar.
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup of milk any kind (I use my homemade cashew milk)
- 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 2 tablespoons Greek yogurt sour cream, or crème fraîche
- Pinch of Salt
- 2 cups of all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking soda sifted
- A pinch of salt
Chocolate Brigadero Ganache:
- 6 ounces of semi sweet or bittersweet chocolate your preference
- 1 can 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted or salted butter I prefer salted
- 1/8 to 1/4 cup milk any kind (I use my homemade cashew milk)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a bundt cake pan or a regular cake pan.
- Blend the wet ingredients: In a blender, combine the mashed bananas, eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, greek yogurt, and milk. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the mixture: into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the oil. (Don’t put the oil in the blender or it will emulsify creating a heavier more dense cake.)
- Sift the dry ingredients: Into the large mixing bowl with the wet mixture. Stir until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep your cake light and fluffy.
- Bake: Pour the batter into your prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool: Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Prepare the ganache: in a medium sauce pan combine the chocolate chips, butter, and condensed milk. Heat over medium/low. Be careful not to burn the chocolate as it will not come out smooth. Stir frequently until melted together and add in the milk to get the perfect pourable consistancy. If its too thick add more milk.
- Pour: The ganache over the cake. If you made a bundt cake pour some of the ganache in the center hole, true Brazilian style!
- Enjoy: Slice and serve your Chocolate Covered Banana Cake with a cup of coffee or tea. Savor the moist, flavorful goodness in every bite! Don’t forget to spread some of the extra center ganache on top!
Notes
Tips for Success
-
- Use Overripe Bananas: The riper the bananas, the sweeter and more flavorful your cake will be.
-
- Don’t over blend: do not over blend and hand whisk in the oil for a fluffy cake.
-
- Adjust Sweetness: Depending on your preference and the ripeness of your bananas, feel free to adjust the amount of sugar.
-
- Low heat: for the chocolate ganache heat over medium low to low heat. If you burn the chocolate, it will not come out smooth.
Substitutions:
- To make this dairy free: substitute your favorite dairy-free milk. Instead of sweetened and condensed milk, you can use coconut condensed milk instead. And for the butter substitute with olive oil or coconut oil. all 1:1 ratios.
- Make your own home made cashew milk with my no strain recipe!
- To make this gluten free: use a 1:1 gluten free baking flour like this one from Bob’s Redmill.
- To make this refined sugar free: use raw cane sugar or coconut sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
