Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

Name: Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 3/4 stick/6 tablespoons/84 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, more for greasing pan; 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon/135 grams all-purpose flour; 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder; 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1/4 cup/60 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil; 1/3 cup/80 grams granulated sugar; 1/4 cup/40 grams dark brown sugar; 1 tablespoon molasses; 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice; 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 teaspoons espresso or strong coffee, cooled (optional); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1 egg; 1 cup smashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas); Generous 1/2 cup/120 grams bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Recipe from Jim Lahey and Maya Joseph

Adapted by Melissa Clark

Banana Chocolate Chip Cake — Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times

Total Time: 35 minutes
Rating: 5(1,788)
Comments: Read comments

This tender cake is different from all the banana breads out there — possibly because Jim Lahey brings his celebrated skills as a bread baker to the recipe, which we adapted from “The Sullivan Street Bakery Cookbook.” The spices, molasses and dark brown sugar combine for an intense, fragrant and almost caramel-like richness, while the mix of butter and olive oil make the crumb melt in the mouth. Be sure to use very ripe bananas for the best flavor; they should be spotted with brown and soft. —Melissa Clark

Featured in: The Year’s Best Baking Cookbooks, for Novices and Pros

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings

¾stick/6 tablespoons/84 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature, more for greasing pan
1cup plus 1 tablespoon/135 grams all-purpose flour
1¼teaspoons baking powder
¼teaspoon fine sea salt
¼cup/60 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil
⅓cup/80 grams granulated sugar
¼cup/40 grams dark brown sugar
1tablespoon molasses
½teaspoon ground allspice
½teaspoon ground cinnamon
1½teaspoons espresso or strong coffee, cooled (optional)
½teaspoon vanilla extract
1egg
1cup smashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
Generous ½ cup/120 grams bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
Step 2
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and fine sea salt.
Step 3
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter, oil, sugar, brown sugar, molasses, allspice, cinnamon, espresso and vanilla until just combined. The secret to this cake's texture is to stop mixing before the sugar is dissolved.
Step 4
Use a spatula to mix egg into butter mixture, then stir in flour mixture just to combine. Fold in bananas and chocolate chips. Scrape batter into prepared cake pan and bake until top is golden and sides begin to pull away from pan, about 25 minutes.
Step 5
Let cool for at least 20 minutes (or longer, until completely cooled), then run a thin spatula around the edges to separate from the pan. Invert onto a serving plate. Cake will keep for 1 day, covered.

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Ratings

5 out of 5

1,788 user ratings

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Comments

Rose5 years ago

I'm social distancing now, so experimenting with recipes using stuff I have, which does not include allspice, cinnamon, coffee or a stand mixer. But did include blackened bananas and plain old semi-sweet choc chips. Whisked dry stuff, erred on the laziest of sides mixing the wet stuff, barely mashed the mushy bananas. Baking, it smelled so heavenly, but looked burnt coming out of the oven. It wasn't. It was delicious. Dear friends, I long to greet you with hugs. And this cake.

steve7 years ago

Thank you, thank you, thank you for including metric measurements. If only all NYT recipes did the same!

Pete K5 years ago

Unless Im creaming butter and sugar together for 10 mins, please don't suggest I bring out the stand mixer. I felt swindled after I got it all in the bowl, only to be told to give it two shakes and move one. Just use mixing bowls and a spatula and you'll be fine. That said, great recipe, tasted good. I even went so far as to add the whole banana slices on top as inspired by the NYTCooking instagram post.

Erin5 days ago

Delicious! I'm not sure about the intended size though as I thought it seemed like less batter than usual so I baked mine in a loaf tin, which came out to a standard loaf size. It seems like it would be a very flat cake in a round tin, but I'll give that a try next time.

Elise1 week ago

A delicious and interesting variation on banana bread. The olive oil, allspice, cinnamon, and coffee give it a complex flavor without being heavy (I used cold brew). I didn’t have molasses so I used maple syrup instead, I bet molasses also would have been delicious but I love how this turned out so won’t be buying molasses for this next time. Only other change was a little more than 1c banana. Baked perfectly in 25min.

Dean3 weeks ago

I didn’t have white granulated sugar or regular chocolate chips on hand, so I ended up using 1 cup of brown sugar and about 3/4 cup of white chocolate chips (I’ve been wanting to finally use them since I don’t particularly love their flavor). This was so delicious, warm, and complex. The combination of all the spices with two perfectly ripe bananas delivers a bright and flavorful spicy ginger-banana-bread that is extremely snackable.

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