This Chocolate Chip Banana Cake is perfectly moist, soft and fluffy. Made with ripe bananas, studded with sweet chocolate chips and topped with silky chocolate cream cheese frosting, this simple sheet cake will be your new favourite!
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I’m back!! I took quite a long break, but it’s time to jump back into the delicious world of cakes, cupcakes and more!
So how about we start the year off with some good ole banana cake? Ever since I posted this banana layer cake recipe, I’ve been wanting to make banana cake in easy sheet cake form. I didn’t want to make a plain banana sheet cake with cream cheese frosting, though. At least, not this time (soon!).
My banana split cake awoken my love for the chocolate/banana combo, as did this banana bread! So to this banana cake we’ll be adding loads of sweet chocolate chips and topping it with a silky chocolate cream cheese frosting!
What to Love About This Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
This has become my new favourite banana cake recipe! Here’s why:
- Extra moist and fluffy texture
- Bold banana flavour
- Not too dense or gummy
- Specks of sweet dark chocolate chips contrast perfectly with the super soft crumb
- The silky chocolate cream cheese frosting tastes like pure chocolate goodness
- The mini chocolate chips on top add even more perfect texture
What Makes This the Best Banana Cake?
- Flavour: when you take a bite out of this cake, you immediately get hit with that bold banana flavour. Inside that banana flavour are specks of soft chocolate chips and then the sweet, slightly tangy chocolate cream cheese frosting. And if you decorate the top with mini chocolate chips, you get even more chocolate-goodness to enjoy!
- Texture: almost like banana bread, but far more soft and fluffy! This is thanks to the full cup of sour cream we add. It adds flavour and softens the crumb! Paired with the silky and creamy frosting, every light-as-air bite just melts in your mouth!
- Simplicity: There’s a few more ingredients, but trust me when I say this cake is just as easy to make as my banana bread. And the best part is that it’s a sheet cake, not a layer cake. So you don’t have to worry about baking multiple layers, filling, crumb coating etc. Just bake all the batter in one pan, then spread on the icing. Easy, peasy!
How to Make Banana Cake
Making banana cake requires a few more steps than your typical banana bread, but it’s still a very simple process! Let me walk you through each step:
- Combine dry ingredients: all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and a bit of cinnamon for flavour! Whisk them together in a bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and sugars: I used two types of sugar — granulated for sweetness and brown sugar for added moisture and flavour! Beat both sugars with the butter for no less than 5 minutes. The mixture is supposed to be pale and extra fluffy.
- Mix in oil, sour cream and vanilla: vegetable oil adds moisture, sour cream gives us a tender crumb and more flavour along with the vanilla.
- Add eggs: add the eggs one at a time and mix on low speed after each addition.
- Gradually add dry ingredients: add the dry ingredients to the batter in 3 additions, mixing on low after each addition. This keeps the batter nice and smooth throughout which makes mixing easier, therefore preventing overbeating.
- Mix in mashed bananas: you can mash the banana with a fork if you don’t mind having some chunks, but if you want the banana to be completely smooth, purée them in a blender or food processor. Make sure your bananas are overriped, for the best results.
- Fold in chocolate chips: the best part! Add 2 full cups of dark or semisweet chocolate chips to the banana cake batter and use a rubber spatula to fold them in. So yummy!
Now all you need to do is pour the batter into your greased 9x13-inch pan and bake!
Warning: the oven smells will bring you to your knees!
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Banana cake is just one of the many cakes that MUST be paired with a silky cream cheese frosting! As great as buttercream’s are, they’re a bit too heavy for such a light and fluffy cake.
Since this is a chocolate chip banana cake, I had to up the chocolate flavours and top it with a chocolate cream cheese frosting!
This is just your typical cream cheese frosting with a little bit of cocoa added to it. Spread every last bit of it onto the cooled cake and garnish with loads of mini chocolate chips for extra texture!
And don’t forget the banana slices! Don’t top the cake with the bananas until the day you plan to serve so the slices stay nice and fresh. Enjoy!
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Let’s get baking!
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake
This Chocolate Chip Banana Cake is perfectly moist, soft and fluffy. Made with ripe bananas, studded with sweet chocolate chips and topped with silky chocolate cream cheese frosting, this simple sheet cake will be your new favourite!
Ingredients
Chocolate Chip Banana Cake:
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 and ½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup sour cream, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 overripe large bananas, puréed or mashed (1 and ½ cups)
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Optional Toppings:
- Mini chocolate chips
- Sliced bananas
Instructions
For the Chocolate Chip Banana Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177°C). Grease the bottom and sides of a 9x13-inch rectangular cake pan. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high until light and fluffy, 4-5 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
- Add oil, sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined.
- Lower speed to medium-low and add the eggs one at a time. Make sure to occasionally stop and scrape down the bowl.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients and slowly mix until just combined. Add the banana purée and mix until well combined. DO NOT OVERMIX. Fold in chocolate chips. Batter should be thick.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Spread into an even layer using an offset spatula. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and cake springs back when lightly touched.
- Remove cake from oven and allow to cool completely on a cooling rack before frosting.
For the Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl using a hand mixer, beat the softened butter and cream cheese until super pale and fluffy, about 5-6 minutes.
- Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time and beat on low speed after each cup until combined.
- Once combined, mix in the cocoa. Add vanilla and salt and continue to beat until combined and smooth.
- Increase speed to medium-high and beat for about 5-7 minutes, or until frosting is light and fluffy.
- Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the chocolate frosting on top in an even layer. Garnish with mini chocolate chips and banana slices, if desired.
Notes
- Tools You’ll Need: 9x13-rectangular cake pan | stand mixer | hand mixer | measuring cups & spoons | rubber spatula | offset spatula | cooling rack | mixing bowl
- Make Ahead: (1) Banana Cake: After baking and cooling the cake, you can cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2-3 days before frosting. Serve at room temperature. (2) Frosting: can be made a day or two ahead of time and stored covered in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
- Cupcakes: You can get around 35-38 cupcakes with this recipe. Fill liners ⅔ way and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. The frosting will need to be doubled. If you want less cupcakes, you can make these banana cupcakes and fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips.
- Layer Cake: This recipe will make a 3-4 layer 8-inch cake, about 2 cups of batter per pan. Bake each layer for around 25 minutes. Frosting will need to be doubled to fill and frost the cake.
- Topping: If topping with fresh bananas, don’t top until a few hours before you’re ready to serve as banana slices brown overtime. Alternatively, you can substitute the fresh bananas with banana chips.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 862Total Fat: 48gSaturated Fat: 25gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 137mgSodium: 518mgCarbohydrates: 109gFiber: 5gSugar: 73gProtein: 9g
BON APPÉTIT!
Love, Dedra
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