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Chocolate-Topped Banana Cake

by Nigella

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Introduction

I can never throw away old, overripe bananas, and although I have many recipes for using them up, I enjoy coming up with new ways, and really wanted, here, a proper cake — delicious though any banana bread is.

I used rum in the topping, but you could easily use all water, dispensing with the rum altogether. Similarly, should you have no brown sugar to hand, just use regular white sugar.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

I used rum in the topping, but you could easily use all water, dispensing with the rum altogether. Similarly, should you have no brown sugar to hand, just use regular white sugar.

For US cup measures, use the toggle at the top of the ingredients list.

Ingredients

Yields: 10-12 slices

Metric Cups

For the Cake

350 grams plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
250 grams soft unsalted butter
250 grams white sugar
3 medium - 450 grams (total weight with skin on) - overripe bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs

For the Icing

30 millilitres rum (optional)
2 tablespoons golden syrup
50 grams dark brown sugar
175 grams milk chocolate (finely chopped)
sprinkles (to decorate)

For the Cake

2⅓ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
18 tablespoons soft unsalted butter
1¼ cups granulated sugar
3 medium - mashed measure of 1⅓ cups - overripe bananas
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 large eggs

For the Icing

2 tablespoons rum (optional)
2 tablespoons golden syrup or light corn syrup
¼ cup dark brown sugar
6 ounces milk chocolate (finely chopped)
sprinkles (to decorate)

Method

For the cake

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan/350ºF and line and grease a 23cm/9 inch Springform tin.
Mix the flour and raising agents into a bowl and set aside.
Put the softened butter into the bowl of a freestanding mixer and beat until smooth. Add the sugar and cream together. Or use a stick blender or, indeed, a wooden spoon and elbow grease!
Next add the peeled bananas, broken into chunks and mix till incorporated, then add the vanilla. Note — the mixture will look like a curdled mess, but don't panic.
Now add the eggs, one by one, alternating with the dry ingredients, mixing all the while, until everything is used up and you have a finished batter.
Pour this into your prepared Springform tin and bake for around 50 minutes — but do start checking at 40 minutes. When the cake is done, a cake tester will come out more or less clean.
Leave to cool before unmoulding the cake.

For the icing

Combine the rum, golden or corn syrup, sugar and 2 x 15ml tablespoons of water in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve before putting over a low heat. Don't stir once it's on the heat. Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat.
Add the finely chopped chocolate to the pan, swirling it around so that it is covered by the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, then whisk to combine; it will quickly thicken and become smooth and shiny.
Straightaway, pour over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides, using a spatula to help ease it over the top as needed, and then immediately cover, as sparsely or as generously as you like, with your chosen sprinkles — or you can leave the gleaming chocolate surface as it is.

For the cake

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/160ºC Fan/350ºF and line and grease a 23cm/9 inch Springform tin.
Mix the flour and raising agents into a bowl and set aside.
Put the softened butter into the bowl of a freestanding mixer and beat until smooth. Add the sugar and cream together. Or use a stick blender or, indeed, a wooden spoon and elbow grease!
Next add the peeled bananas, broken into chunks and mix till incorporated, then add the vanilla. Note — the mixture will look like a curdled mess, but don't panic.
Now add the eggs, one by one, alternating with the dry ingredients, mixing all the while, until everything is used up and you have a finished batter.
Pour this into your prepared Springform tin and bake for around 50 minutes — but do start checking at 40 minutes. When the cake is done, a cake tester will come out more or less clean.
Leave to cool before unmoulding the cake.

For the icing

Combine the rum, golden or corn syrup, sugar and 2 x 15ml tablespoons of water in a small saucepan, stirring to dissolve before putting over a low heat. Don't stir once it's on the heat. Let it come to the boil and then take it off the heat.
Add the finely chopped chocolate to the pan, swirling it around so that it is covered by the hot liquid. Leave to melt for a few minutes, then whisk to combine; it will quickly thicken and become smooth and shiny.
Straightaway, pour over the cooled cake, letting it drip down the sides, using a spatula to help ease it over the top as needed, and then immediately cover, as sparsely or as generously as you like, with your chosen sprinkles — or you can leave the gleaming chocolate surface as it is.

Additional Information

MAKE AHEAD / STORE:
The sponge can be baked up to 2 days ahead. Once cooled, store in an airtight container and ice the sponge 1-2 hours before serving. Iced cake will keep for up to 3 days more in an airtight container. The sponge can be frozen (without icing) for up to 3 months. Wrap in a double layer of food wrap and a layer of foil. To thaw, unwrap and leave on a wire rack for 3-4 hours.

Tell us what you think

What 10 Others have said

Made this today and it looks amazing. I added a little splash of brandy as a substitute for rum for the glaze. Absolutely divine. Made the cake with gluten free flour so can't wait to cut it tomorrow to see what the texture is like. But so far, so good.

Posted by Noolsy on 11th December 2021
I made 2 banana cakes in loaf tins. So soft and lovely very tasty. I think some added walnuts would have been nice. I didn’t use any icing. I’ll definitely make it many times more!

Posted by jessie14 on 4th April 2020
I made this with my grandson today and everyone loved it! I used dairy-free margarine and chocolate, and skipped the rum. I will definitely make this again.

Posted by luckiest1 on 27th August 2018
I love it!

Posted by Patries on 3rd December 2017
Love! This is the tastiest banana cake I've ever made.

Posted by BeccaB on 24th September 2016
I made this 2 days ago- so easy & delicious! I added 1/2 teasp each cinnamon & mixed spice and 2 teasp chia seeds...yummy! Thanks Nigella!

Posted by Sevasti on 18th June 2016
I baked this cake for my nephew's first birthday - just this evening. And what a success it was! With old & young alike. I added some chopped walnuts and scattered some silver glitter balls atop the chocolate icing. Pretty and tempting!! And amazingly delicious to boost. Thanks, Nigella.

Posted by RatanP on 15th June 2015
I made this cake last week, with a couple of adjustments and it tasted amazing! Thanks for the recipe

Posted by Cazzy7 on 30th May 2015
Super simple cake to make, its a firm favourite with the whole family. Tweeked it slighly and added a cream cheese icing on top. Really tasty. Thanks Nigella!

Posted by Jo74 on 21st March 2014
I will try it tonight... Some ancient bananas just waiting for me! I wonder if walnuts and almonds chopped on top would work...

Posted by renatamattos11 on 10th April 2013