Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting

Since you love my BEST Moist Chocolate Chip Banana Bread recipe so much (it's one of the most popular recipes on this blog!), I decided to make you a soft chocolate chip banana cake complete with a super creamy and fluffy milk chocolate frosting!

You also asked me to share more recipes with whole wheat flour, so here it is!

You can use either white all purpose flour or whole wheat flour -- both will work so you can choose the path you want to take.

HOW TO MAKE CHOCOLATE CHIP BANANA CAKE:

First it is important to have very ripe bananas. This means bananas that are covered with black spots, but not bruised or rotting. The flesh should be very soft and sweet.

Mash the bananas up first to break them up and then continue to mash with the sugar. The sugar will help to break down the banana into a glossy puree. You can do all of this with the back of a fork.

Mix in the remaining wet ingredients, including melted butter, eggs and yogurt.

Combine the dry ingredients separately so that they are well combined then fold them into the wet batter.

Finally, mix in the chocolate chips.

CAN YOU USE FROZEN BANANAS TO MAKE BANANA CAKE?

Many resources will tell you to use frozen bananas, and although this is possible, it is not my preference. The taste of the banana changes when it is frozen and the cell structure is also compromised which is why a lot of liquid comes out of thawed frozen bananas.

Fresh bananas will have the starch intact and will therefore provide better structure to the cake without making it gummy.

HOW TO MAKE MILK CHOCOLATE FROSTING:

This frosting is so creamy and luscious, and the trick to getting it that way is to use very soft butter and the best quality milk chocolate.

There is no added liquid like cream or milk in this frosting which is what makes it so velvety. The melted chocolate contributes milk solids that help stabilize the frosting and also add creamy mouthfeel.

If you want a looser frosting, you can beat in a tablespoon of cream, but the lack of liquid in this recipe is what makes it so silky. Adding liquid can lead to separation if it is not added very gradually, and it must be at room temperature. Cold liquid may cause the frosting to split.

The biggest secret to this recipe... use salted butter!

Salted butter as an incredible richness that truly enhances the chocolate flavour in a way that adding salt separately just can't do. Of course you can still make this frosting with unsalted butter and a pinch of salt, but the flavour of salted butter has an inherent richness that carries the chocolate taste so well.

If you love banana, check out these other popular banana recipes:

Chocolate Chip Banana Cake with Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting

Christina Marsigliese

Soft and fluffy banana cake with chocolate chips and an ultra smooth and creamy milk chocolate frosting!

5 from 4 votes

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

  

Cake:

• 1 ½ cups 195g whole wheat all-purpose flour or equal parts white all-purpose flour (215g)
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ cups 355ml mashed banana from about 3 large, ripe bananas
• ¾ cup 165g packed light brown sugar
• ¼ cup 56g unsalted butter melted
• 2 large eggs at room temperature
• ¼ cup 60ml yogurt
• 1 teaspoon 5ml pure vanilla extract
• ½ cup 85g mini dark chocolate chips

Frosting:

• ⅓ cup 75g salted butter, softened
• 2 tablespoon 12g cocoa powder
• ½ cup 60g icing sugar
• ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 ½ oz 100g milk chocolate, melted and cooled

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8x8-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving about 1-inch overhang along each side.
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
• Place mashed banana in a large mixing bowl (or you can mash the bananas right in the bowl with a fork – you will need 360g of banana flesh which is about 3 medium bananas). Add sugar and whisk until glossy and syrupy. Whisk in melted butter. Whisk in eggs one at a time. Mix in yogurt and vanilla until blended. Add dry ingredients all at once and fold them in until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth it out. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is evenly browned and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• For the frosting, beat salted butter until smooth. Sift in cocoa powder and icing sugar then beat for 2 minutes until very pale and fluffy. Beat in vanilla extract. Add half of melted cooled chocolate and beat until combined and creamy. Add the remaining chocolate and beat until fluffy, thick and super silky.

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