This banana chocolate chip cake is an easy bundt cake to make. It’s so moist and tastes like banana bread plus the mini chocolate chips really add to the flavor.
Hey there! Before you scroll, there’s lot’s of important stuff in the post!…including the FAQ section, which may answer any questions you might have about this recipe. Enjoy!
Honestly time: I used to not understand the whole chocolate and banana combination thing. I just assumed I wouldn’t like it.
Well this cake was a spur of the moment, fit of inspiration. I don’t know if I was reading something or scrolling online, but I just got this huge craving for a banana chocolate chip cake and so here we are.
I was really surprised that I loved the combo of banana and chocolate chips so much. It’s surprisingly good and using mini chocolate chips just gives it a hint and doesn’t overwhelm the banana taste.
On the plus side, this cake is so moist that you don’t even need any icing or glaze on it. You certainly can add that if you want, but you don’t have to.
Let’s talk about some of the ingredients in this banana chocolate chip cake:
Brown sugar: I went with brown sugar for part of the sugar in this recipe to give it a deeper flavor. Either dark brown sugar or light brown sugar will work, but I used light brown.
Cinnamon: You’ll add a small amount of cinnamon to this cake. It’s not overpowering at all, but it helps to bring out the flavor of the bananas. I like to use Saigon Cinnamon.
Sour Cream: Yep I’m adding sour cream here because it makes cakes SO moist. (Make sure to read the FAQ section below for substitute options.)
Bananas: Obviously we’ll add bananas. You’ll need three medium sized bananas and you’ll need to peel and mash them. Make sure they’re really ripe because they’ll lend more flavor to the cake that way.
Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste: If you can get vanilla bean paste, that’s the way to go. It’s SO good. If you can’t get it, vanilla extract will work as well.
Mini Chocolate Chips: We’re using mini chips here because it just adds a hint of chocolate flavor here and there, so it’s not overpowering. Plus the mini chips won’t sink in the batter.
Mixing method for this cake:
The mixing method for this cake is the reverse creaming method. That just means instead of whipping up the butter and sugar first, you’ll actually add all your dry ingredients to one bowl and the liquid ingredients to another bowl.
You’ll then cut in room temperature butter and slowly mix that into the dry mixture until it coats all the flour. Then you’ll add in the liquid mixture in two parts. Don’t worry…it’s actually easy and I’ve got all the steps in the recipe card below.
Next you’ll hand mix in the mini chocolate chips and it’s ready to bake.
Tips & FAQs for the banana chocolate chip cake:
The short answer is either one. Really it doesn’t matter which one you use, but generally light brown sugar is used more often and that’s what I used.
It’s best to use real unsalted butter for this cake. Margarine isn’t real butter and has more water content in it, so you really can’t predict what result you’ll get if you use it.
Set your butter out ahead of time. If your butter is cold (or melted), this mixing method will just not work well.
They’re not the same thing and you’ll need them both.
Sour cream is best, but if you can’t get it in your area, you can use yogurt. Use the full fat version though and not the diet (light) kind.
Yes you can. Whole milk has more fat in it, so it’s better for baking, but if you’re in a pinch, you can use 2% milk instead.
Those will add the most flavor.
Nope! If you don’t want to add them, you can omit them. If you can’t find the mini chocolate chips, you can use regular chocolate chips, but it helps to chop them up a bit, so they don’t sink in the cake batter.
The ones I used were semi-sweet chocolate, but it doesn’t matter because you can use any type of chocolate chip you want.
Bundt cakes will easily stick to the pan, so greasing and flouring the pan is a must.
Bake it and let it sit overnight and the flavors will really come out.
I find that the reverse creaming mixing method is actually easier than the usual creaming method, but if you’re unsure about it from the instructions, just watch the video.
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SUPPLIES USED FOR THIS CAKE:
Ok let’s get to the recipe!
**By the way, this recipe was developed and tested using volume measurements (cups etc.). I do this because most people are used to measuring, instead of weighing. You may use the metric converter button to see the weight (gram) measurements. Those numbers are estimates on weight. Your results may vary a bit if you use the weight measurements.
Recipe
Banana Chocolate Chip Cake
Ingredients
- 2 ⅔ cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup unsalted butter (slightly cooler than room temp)
- 1 cup sour cream
- ½ cup whole milk
- 3 mashed bananas
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (or vanilla extract)
- 3 eggs
- 1 ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Grease and flour a large bundt pan.
- Combine the flour, sugars, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Whisk and set aside.
- In another bowl, combine the sour cream, milk, mashed bananas, vanilla and eggs. Mix well with a whisk.
- Now cut your slightly cooler than room temperature butter into chunks. Turn your mixer on low and add in the butter slowly to your dry ingredients. Mix on medium to medium-high until all the flour is coated with the butter and the mixture is crumbly with a sand-like texture.
- Pour in about a third of the liquid mixture. Mix on medium speed until combined. Only about 30 seconds.
- Pour the last of the liquid mixture and mix on medium again until combined. Don’t overmix the batter. Only mix until everything is combined.
- Use a rubber spatula and scrape the sides of the bowl. Mix again for only about 10 to 15 seconds.
- Add in the mini chocolate chips and stir in by hand.
- Pour into prepared pan.
- Bake approximately 60-65 minutes. A toothpick inserted into the cake will come out with a few moist crumbs on it and not batter.
- Set on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then turn out onto the rack and let cool out of the pan completely.
Video
Notes
This cake can be frozen for up to a month if wrapped well in plastic wrap and foil. Nutritional values are an estimate. Make sure to check out the TIPS & FAQs for this recipe in the blog post, which may answer questions about substitutions. *This recipe card may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Nutrition
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Kara Jane
Hi Amy, I’m so sorry that the cake wasn’t done. An hour and five minutes is quite a long time to have a cake in the oven and it not be close to being done. I’m just trying to help, but you might want to get an oven thermometer and check to make sure your oven is working properly. The cake should have been completely baked by that time.
Jennie
I would like to make this cake with some kind of glaze, as my 3 year granddaughter requested a banana birthday cake. Do you have any suggestions for a glaze frosting?
Kara Jane
Hi Jennie, you can just do a simple glaze with confectioner’s sugar and milk if you’d like. It’s simple, yet tastes good. Here’s a link to a version of it. Just scroll down to the glaze portion of the recipe card and you can omit the cinnamon as well. You can even add a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder to make it a chocolate version, which would be good on this cake as well. https://iscreamforbuttercream.com/cinnamon-swirl-sour-cream-cake/
Gifty
Why don’t you use margarine in your recipe
Kara Jane
Butter has a better taste than margarine in cakes…in my opinion. Also, many times, butter bakes differently than margarine. Margarine has more water content and you just can’t predict whether it will come out correctly or not. At least that’s what I’ve found to be true.
ConnieA
Can I use mini bundle pans. If so, how long should they bake? Anxious to try this recipe.
Kara Jane
Did you mean mini bundt pans? If so, yes I think mini bundt pans would be fine to use. Make sure to spray them with a non-stick spray so nothing sticks to the pan though. I’m not exactly sure how long to bake them as I haven’t tried this recipe out using mini bundt pans, but I’d start checking them at around 20 minutes or so. Hope this helps.
Annie
I made the above with a chocolate ganache on top and everyone loved it. Bundt cakes are my go to cake to make.
Kara Jane
Yay! So glad you liked it and chocolate ganache glaze on this sounds wonderful!