Reduced-sugar chocolate and banana cake
Serves 10-12 | prep 35 mins | total time
Reduced-sugar chocolate and banana cake
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Serves 10-12 | prep 35 mins | total time
Rate
Nutritional information (per serving)
Calories
418Kcal
Fat
22gr
Saturates
13gr
Carbs
46gr
Sugars
25gr
Fibre
3gr
Protein
8gr
Salt
1gr
Ingredients
- 125g salted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for greasing
- 250g self-raising flour
- 30g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 50g light brown soft sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 medium eggs, beaten
- 4 over-ripe bananas (about 550g unpeeled weight), mashed
- 2 tbsp milk, if needed
For the icing
- 150g cook’s dark chocolate, chopped
- 75g unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 75g full fat cream cheese
- 3-4 tbsp hot milk
- dried banana chips and chocolate curls, to decorate
Step by step
Get ahead
The cake will keep for 2-3 days in the fridge, or can be frozen for up to 1 month.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, gas 4.
- Lightly grease and line the bases of two non-stick 20cm sponge tins.
- Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda into a large mixing bowl and stir in the sugar. In a separate bowl, beat together the melted butter, vanilla, eggs and bananas. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture, stirring until just combined. Add the milk, if needed, to give a dropping consistency. Divide the cake batter between the two tins and bake for 20-25 minutes, until risen and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
-
Tip
When you have really ripe bananas in the fruit bowl, you can just pop them in the freezer until you're ready to use them. When defrosted the flesh mashes to a pulp really easily.
- To make the icing, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pan of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Once melted, add the vanilla and maple syrup and beat until well combined. Set aside until cold. Using an electric whisker, whisk in the cream cheese, along with 2 tablespoons of the hot milk, and beat until the mixture is thick, pale and smooth. Add a little extra milk if the mixture is stiff.
- Put one layer of the cake on a cake board or serving dish and spread half of the icing over the top, working right up to the edges. Top with the other layer and spread the remaining icing on top of the cake. Decorate with banana chips before serving.
