Chocolate Banana Bread

Are you in a very healthy mood, but craving just that little bit of chocolate?

Well, then this healthy, wholewheat flour, banana and chocolate laden cake (well, erm, bread) is just right for you.

It takes very little effort, most of the work is done by your blender and the oven.

Trust me, the hardest thing you have to do is crack the eggs and peel the bananas.

Don’t trust me? Well, then check out for yourself.

My dear friend Pallavi invited me over to her house for dinner. She has a lovely 6 year old, so I thought- what better thing to take along than a freshly baked cake?

My friend is very health conscious,  but like the rest of us humans, loves her food and does indulge.

So this Chocolate banana bread just fit the bill. Needless to say, she loved it. And I am sure, you will too.

Ingredients

• Whole Wheat flour- 3/4 cup - Butter- for greasing
• Plain flour- 3/4 flour
• Baking powder- 2 tsp
• Baking soda ( soda bicarbonate)- 1/4 tsp
• Bananas- very ripe- 2
• Oil, odourless- 1/2 cup ( sunflower or groundnut or grapeseed)
• Brown sugar- 1 cup
• Eggs, large-3
• Chocolate powder- 1/4 - 1/2 cup
• Cinnamon powder- 1/2 tsp
• Nutmeg powder (optional)- 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

Method

1. Grease and line a a 9″ square tin with butter or line with baking paper. I have also used a bread tin with excellent results.

2. Preheat oven to 180 °C/350 °F. 3. Sieve wheat flour, plain flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon powder, and chocolate powder. I like to do this 2-3 times to ensure that the bread has a fantastic light texture.

4. In a large mixing bowl, pop in the peeled bananas. Mush up with a fork.

5. Add in the oil and brown sugar. I think dark brown sugar works best. I love using my Bamix hand blender. Makes life so much easier. What do you use?

Of course, all this can be easily managed in a food processor as well.

7. Beat the eggs in a separate bowl.

8. Add slowly to the big bowl while mixing continuously.

If using a food processor, just beat the eggs and add in.

9. Mix in vanilla essence.

10. Add the sifted flour mixture and  and mix in lightly.

11. Pour into prepared tin and bake for 30 minutes.

The batter is quite runny. Most times, it takes longer than the recommended 30 minutes.

13. Poke with a skewer in the centre. Ideally, it should be clean. If the batter sticks to the skewer, bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Check out that crust! Do you know what I like about this recipe, and why I make it so many times over?

I am in love with the crust that forms on top. It makes me proud, every single time.

14. Remove from the oven and let the banana bread cool for 10- 15 minutes in the tin.

15. Turn out on a wire rack to cool.

16. When completely cool, slice it into thin slices and serve. I find that my Miracle Blade slicer does this job the best!

And then off we went to Pallavi’s house, cake firmly wrapped , amidst loud protests from my son that he hadn’t got to taste it yet!

Of course, my exasperated explanations of ‘ You can’t eat what you are gifting’ did not go down so well 🙂