Mini Chocolate Banana Loaf Cakes Recipe

Banana bread is one of those treats that take you to your childhood and back with every bite; it just tastes like home! Besides, there’s no better thing to do with over-ripe bananas; banana bread helps you avoid wasting a single banana, and that’s also nice!

Mini Chocolate Banana Loaf Cakes Recipe

So, most people don’t know this, but making banana loaf cakes is quite easy. And if you make them as individual treats, you’ve got yourself a great way of surprising your guests, friends and family.

Now, if you really want to show someone you care, send them a lovely gift hamper, especially one with a whole lot of premium chocolates. Now, for a homemade treat, see how I make banana loaf cakes!

What Goes into a Banana Loaf Cake?

That’s the right question right there. My banana bread recipe calls for ten ingredients, but most of them you already have at home. Let’s start with the basics — eggs, butter, brown sugar and plain all-purpose flour. That’s easy, right? You’ll also need a pinch of salt and another one of bicarbonate soda to make the bread rise.

Then you have the ingredients that will give the banana loaf its characteristic flavor — cinnamon, banana chips as a garnish and ripe bananas! My secret ingredient? Eighty grams of nice chocolate; it really takes the banana bread to another level.

How to Choose Bananas for a Banana Loaf?

The biggest mistake everyone makes when making a banana loaf is not using ripe-enough bananas (It happened to me all the time!) No, not any banana will do. Actually, it must be completely ripe, or better said, over-ripe!

You should see brown spots all around, but don’t use bananas with huge dark spots that are just too mushy to the touch. You also want to avoid bananas with their flesh exposed since insects might have already found their way into the fruit. Other than that, you’re good to go!

Chocolate in a Banana Loaf? Really?

Yes, you read that right. I love adding just a little chocolate to contrast banana’s tropical flavor, and what started as an experiment is now a great success. Here’s what you have to do.

First, mix the dry ingredients, meaning the bicarbonate soda, flour and cinnamon. In another bowl, you cream the butter with the brown sugar. That’s where you throw in the eggs and the mashed bananas. After you combine the dry and wet ingredients, you add the chopped chocolate and incorporate it all into a smooth dough. That’s what you do with every loaf!

What to Serve with Banana Loaf?

I love topping my banana loaf with banana chips to give a contrasting crunch to the fluffy bread. Still, my favorite topping is vanilla ice cream. I know, it might not be a classic combination, but trust me, it works. Especially if you add some chocolate to the batter! That’s the legendary chocolate-vanilla combo. How to get that one wrong?

Having said that, serve your banana loaves anyway you want, but do share them with your loved ones. These treats are one of those that just tastes better in good company. Also, before I forget here’s some of my favourite tips for home bakers.

Mini Chocolate Banana Loaf Cakes Recipe

Ingredients:

250g plain flour

115g soft dark brown sugar

115g butter

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 tsp cinnamon

500g ripe bananas, mashed

80g Lily O’Brien’s Chocolate Mega Milk or 70% Dark Belgian Chocolate Share Bags – your choice (1 bag will be enough with some leftover to snack on) roughly chopped

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

pinch salt

Dried banana chips, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 180°C

2. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda into a large bowl and add the cinnamon and salt

3. Cream together in a separate bowl, the butter and brown sugar

4. Stir in the eggs and mashed bananas until well mixed

5. Stir the banana mixture and chopped chocolate into the flour mixture until just combined

6. Spoon the mixture into the loaf tin/cases until it fills each case, just over halfway

7. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean

8. Leave to cool in the tin/cases for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack

9. Optional – sprinkle the top of each cake with chopped banana chips