Chocolate Banana Cake

My husband always says that I have a tendency to buy too much fruit, it's true and I don't know why I pick them compulsively and then end up with ripe fruit screaming for help.

This week, I had over ripe bananas sitting on my counter so that gave me an excuse to bake, and yes, I do need excuses to justify my passion. 

So naturally, my choice fell on chocolate banana cake. The cake is amazingly delicious, with a deep chocolate flavor. 

I also want to share with you some photos I took on a day out with my best friend that came from Lebanon to spend a week with us. She had already came to Paris many times, but it was her first fall here, it was actually a chance to experience a unique view of the city. It was so beautiful and peaceful, everything was shaped up to form a spectacular autumn season. The sky has been mostly blue, the brightly colored crisp autumn leaves rustled with a great noise as we walked, the air was crisp but still pleasant, and the scene was truly amazing!!!

 

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 ½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp sea salt

¼ tsp baking soda

1 Stick (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

¾ cup sugar

½ cup (packed) light brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 ripe bananas, mashed

¾ cup buttermilk

3 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped, or ½ cup store-bought chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180ºC).

Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer, preferable fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened.

Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled-it’s okay.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40 to 45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 to 75 minutes), or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding it. Invert and cool at room temperature right side up.

Cake chocolat banane

Ingrédients:
220 g de farine
125 g de cacao non sucré
1 ½ càc de levure chimique
½ càc sel fin
¼ càc de bicarbonate de soude
170 g de sucre
100 g de cassonade
110 g de beurre doux
2 œufs
2 bananes mûres, écrasées (grande taille)
180 ml de lait Ribot ou fermenté
85 g de pépites de chocolat

Préchauffez le four à 180ºC.

Beurrez un moule à cake et placez-le sur une plaque à patisserie.

Tamisez la farine, le cacao, la levure, la bicarbonate et le sel.

Dans un saladier, battez le beurre 1 mn.

Ajoutez les sucres et battez 2 mn. Ajoutez les œufs, un à un, en battant après chaque ajout.

Ajoutez la purée de bananes puis versez le mélange de farine tamisée en 3 fois, en mélangeant après chaque ajout. Ajoutez le lait ribot et mélangez. Incorporez les pépites de chocolat et versez la préparation dans le moule.

Enfournez pour 30 mn. Faites-le sortir et couvrez-le avec du papier aluminium. Enfournez de nouveau pour 40 mn de plus. Laissez-le refroidir complètement avant de couper.

Recipe adapted from Baking From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan