Chocolate Banana Cake

This chocolate banana cake is a fun twist on the classic marble cake, featuring soft banana cake layers swirled with chocolate and covered in the creamiest chocolate buttercream. It’s always a hit!

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OMG. <——I start too many posts like that. But sometimes it’s appropriate. Like right now, when I don’t really have words to tell you just how excited I am about today’s recipe.

This chocolate banana cake is INSANE. Crazy good. And totally show-stopping don’t you think? I’m so in love with the marbling that I just can’t stop staring. Banana cake swirled together with chocolate cake. . .my heart (and by heart I mean sweet tooth) can hardly stand it.

If you love chocolate and banana together then you need to try this ASAP. Don’t worry—it’s easier than it looks! Both to make and to eat 😉

Why you’ll love this chocolate banana cake:

• You don’t need a stand mixer to make it!
• The chocolate cake is really just banana cake batter mixed with melted chocolate chips; you’re not actually making two different batters
• It’s a fun, non-banana bread way to use overripe bananas

How to make chocolate banana cake

This is definitely the best banana cake recipe I’ve ever made.  It’s super soft and light, not at all dense like banana bread.  Even if you don’t add the melted chocolate chips, I think you’ll love the cake.

Start by beating the butter and sugar a large mixing bowl until very light and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add mashed banana vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and beat to combine.

Add the flour in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk. Be sure to stop the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl every so often! This recipe makes a lot of cake batter and you need to help the mixer along with a rubber spatula, so the scraping is important.

Transfer 1 1/4 cup of the banana cake batter to a small mixing bowl and mix in melted chocolate chips.

Baker’s tip: Chocolate scorches easily in the microwave so melt it slowly. Heat it in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Going slowly like this saves you from having to start over with new chocolate.

Divide about half of the remaining banana batter between three 8-inch round cake pans that have been lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray. Dollop the chocolate batter over the banana batter, then top with the remaining banana batter. Use a butter knife or the handle of a wooden spoon to swirl the two batters together—don’t over-swirl!

If necessary, gently smooth the top of the batter with a small offset spatula. Then pop them in the oven and bake about 30 minutes. Let your cake layers cool completely before you frost them.

How to make chocolate buttercream

This is my favorite buttercream recipe and because it’s super-chocolatey and SO EASY to make.

Start by beating room temp butter in a large mixing bowl until it’s very smooth and creamy. Add cocoa powder and beat to combine, then beat in powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, espresso powder (if you want) and salt. Don’t omit the salt! This frosting is really sweet and needs a little salt to round out the flavors.

Once the frosting is smooth and is a consistency you like, you’re ready to assemble your cake.

How to assemble chocolate banana cake

If your cake layers have domed, trim them with a long serrated knife.

Set one cooled cake layer on a cake stand or a cardboard cake circle.  Spread some frosting over it, then top with a second cake layer and more frosting.  Top with the last cake layer and frost and decorate as desired.

I used my trusty large star tip to pipe the frosting and pressed some chocolate jimmies into the sides of the cake, but banana chips and chocolate chips would both be really fun decorations. 

Variations

• Spread a layer of creamy peanut butter over the cake layers before frosting them
• Add a few tablespoons of peanut butter to the frosting! (You might need to add additional powdered sugar if you do.)
• Spread a thin layer of banana curd between the cake layers for an extra dose of banana flavor

There you have it: chocolate banana cake. If you’re looking for a twist on the classic marble cake then look no further.This one is chock full of potassium so it’s pretty hard to beat.

More cake recipes (in case you’re hungry)
Butterfinger Cake
Tuxedo Cake
Death by Chocolate Cake

Did you make this chocolate banana cake? Excellent!  Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below.  And post a pic on Instagram! Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see (and share!) your beautiful creations!  

5 from 19 votes

Print

Chocolate Banana Cake

Prep Time

25 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Cooling Time

2 hrs

Total Time

2 hrs 55 mins

 

This chocolate banana marble cake is delicious and a lot easier to make than it looks.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

Author: Kelsie

Ingredients

Cake layers

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe banana from 3 to 4 bananas
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Chocolate frosting

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 to 4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk or heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder optional
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Cake layers

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper and spray the paper with cooking spray. Set pans aside.
2. Combine the sugar and butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes, until very light and creamy. Beat in the eggs 1 at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition.
3. Beat in the bananas, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
4. With mixer on low speed, mix in one third of the flour followed by half of the buttermilk. Stop mixer and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix in half of the remaining flour followed by the remaining buttermilk. Again scrape down the bowl. Add the rest of the flour and beat until batter is smooth.

5. Transfer 1 1/4 cup of the cake batter to a small mixing bowl. Place the chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl and melt in 20-second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate is melted and smooth.*  Stir into the reserved 1 1/4 cups of batter.

6. Divide about half of the remaining banana batter between the prepared cake pans. Dollop the chocolate batter over the top, then top with the remaining banana batter. Use a butter knife or the handle of a wooden spoon to swirl the two batters together—don’t over-swirl!
7. If necessary, gently smooth the top of the batter with a small offset spatula. Bake cake layers for 29 to 35 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake layers comes out clean; try to avoid sticking the cake tester into the chocolate cake.
8. Cool layers in pans for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pans and carefully invert the cake layers onto wire racks to cool completely.

Chocolate frosting

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer set to medium speed until very smooth and creamy. Turn mixer to low and beat in cocoa powder, then gradually beat in 4 cups of powdered sugar. Beat 1 to 2 minutes more.
2. Add 3 tablespoons of milk, vanilla, espresso powder (if using), and salt and beat to combine. Turn mixer to medium and beat until frosting is smooth. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin or additional milk if it is too thick.

Assembly

1. Use a long serrated knife to trim your cake layers if they’ve domed. Set 1 cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake circle and top with a layer of frosting. Top with another cake layer and more frosting, followed by the final cake layer.
2. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate as desired. Serve.

Recipe Notes

• *Melting your chocolate slowly keeps it from scorching.
• I used a large open star tip to and chocolate jimmies to decorate my cake but banana slices and chocolate chips would also be fun.

• Variations

  • Spread a layer of creamy peanut butter over the cake layers before frosting them
  • Add a few tablespoons of peanut butter to the frosting! (You might need to add additional powdered sugar if you do.)
  • Spread a thin layer of banana curd between the cake layers for an extra dose of banana flavor

Cake layers adapted from Church Supper Desserts