Oh boy, is this cake good! If you have extra bananas sitting around and are looking for something to make other than traditional banana bread, this recipe is for you. It’s like a cross between banana bread and crumb cake. It was a huge hit in our house. It makes a lot, so it’s great if you are serving a family or if you’re having company. I served it as dessert and if my mom were visiting she’d say it also qualifies as a breakfast item because it’s made with fruit.
I made the mistake of underestimating what constituted half of the batter which led to my layer of cinnamon and chocolate being quite near the bottom of the cake. Next time I’ll overestimate, hoping that the line of goodness is more towards the center. I didn’t have sour cream, so I substituted an equal amount of plain greek yogurt and it worked perfectly.
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Recipe from SmittenKitchen
Cake:
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (115 grams) butter at room temperature (original recipe calls for unsalted. I used salted)
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (375 grams) mashed bananas (this was 3 1/2 bananas for me)
2/3 cup (160 grams) sour cream (2/3 cup of plain greek yogurt is a great substitute)
3 cups (400 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
Filling and topping:
2 cups (340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips (original recipe says bittersweet work well too)
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring the sides are covered. Alternatively, lightly grease the pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment for easy removal.
Whip the egg whites in a large bowl until they reach firm peaks. Be careful not to go too far—overbeaten whites lose their elasticity and are a pain to fold in later! If you’re using your only stand-mixer bowl, just move the whites to a different bowl once they’re ready.
Beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla. Beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and salt together. Add the bananas to the butter mixture (extra soft bananas don’t need to be pre-mashed). Beat until combined. Gradually mix in the flour mixture and sour cream (or yogurt) in stages: add half the flour, then the sour cream, followed by the remaining flour, beating after each addition until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
It’s time to assemble the cake. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Spread half of the batter evenly into your prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Dollop the remaining batter over the filling in spoonfuls, then use a rubber or offset spatula to gently smooth it into an even layer. Finish by sprinkling the top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and the rest of the chocolate chips.
Place in the oven for 35–40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or tester comes out clean from the center. Cool the cake entirely in its pan.
To maintain the crunchy top, follow Deb Perelman’s (Smitten Kitchen) advice: do not cover the cake. To prevent drying, press plastic wrap only against the exposed, sliced edges. This preserves the crisp, sugary crust.
Yield: ~20 servings
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Recipe from SmittenKitchen
Cake:
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup (115 grams) butter at room temperature (original recipe calls for unsalted. I used salted)
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (375 grams) mashed bananas (this was 3 1/2 bananas for me)
2/3 cup (160 grams) sour cream (2/3 cup of plain greek yogurt is a great substitute)
3 cups (400 grams) all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
Filling and topping:
2 cups (340 grams) semi-sweet chocolate chips (original recipe says bittersweet work well too)
1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13-inch baking pan with parchment paper, ensuring the sides are covered. Alternatively, lightly grease the pan with non-stick spray and line the bottom with parchment for easy removal.
Whip the egg whites in a large bowl until they reach firm peaks. Be careful not to go too far—overbeaten whites lose their elasticity and are a pain to fold in later! If you’re using your only stand-mixer bowl, just move the whites to a different bowl once they’re ready.
Beat the butter and 1 1/2 cups of granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and vanilla. Beat until combined. In a separate bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and salt together. Add the bananas to the butter mixture (extra soft bananas don’t need to be pre-mashed). Beat until combined. Gradually mix in the flour mixture and sour cream (or yogurt) in stages: add half the flour, then the sour cream, followed by the remaining flour, beating after each addition until just combined. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.
It’s time to assemble the cake. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Spread half of the batter evenly into your prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the cinnamon-sugar mixture and 1 cup of the chocolate chips. Dollop the remaining batter over the filling in spoonfuls, then use a rubber or offset spatula to gently smooth it into an even layer. Finish by sprinkling the top with the remaining cinnamon-sugar and the rest of the chocolate chips.
Place in the oven for 35–40 minutes. The cake is done when a toothpick or tester comes out clean from the center. Cool the cake entirely in its pan.
To maintain the crunchy top, follow Deb Perelman’s (Smitten Kitchen) advice: do not cover the cake. To prevent drying, press plastic wrap only against the exposed, sliced edges. This preserves the crisp, sugary crust.
Yield: ~20 servings
