Chocolate Baking

Start your week the right way with Alison Roman's cocoa banana bread

Name: Cocoa banana bread recipe by Alison Roman
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 100 min
Total time: 125 min
Yield: 1 loaf
Ingredients: Non-stick cooking spray, for the pan; 110g demerara sugar; 225g plain flour; 50g cocoa powder; 1 tsp baking powder; 1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt; 85g unsalted butter, at room temperature; 75g raw sugar; 60g white sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1 large egg; 5 extremely ripe bananas, 4 coarsely mashed and 1 sliced lengthwise; 125g mascarpone

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25m

1h 40m

1 loaf

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This version of banana bread is more cake than bread, and I wouldn't be able to get away with saying "there's banana in it, so it's breakfast!" because no, this is not breakfast. This is a chocolatey, buttery, decadent thing and (probably) not appropriate to eat first thing in the morning, says Alison. But hey, everything in moderation, including moderation, right... This recipe is an extract from DINING IN by Alison Roman. Copyright © 2017 by Alison Roman.

Non-stick cooking spray, for the pan
1/2 cup (110g) demerara sugar
1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
1/2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt
85g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup (75g) raw sugar
1/4 cup (60g) lightly packed light-brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 large egg
5 extremely ripe bananas, 4 coarsely mashed and 1 sliced lengthwise
1/2 cup (125g) mascarpone, full-fat sour cream or full-fat yoghurt

Method

1.

Preheat the oven to 175°C. Spray a 1.5L loaf pan with non-stick spray. Sugar the inside of the pan with 1/4 cup of the demerara sugar (or regular sugar if you don’t have demerara), tapping out any excess.
2.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt together; set aside.
3.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, raw sugar, light-brown sugar and vanilla on high speed until the mixture is super light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Beat until well combined and the mixture returns to that previously light, fluffy state, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients and beat just to blend. Using a spatula, fold in the mashed bananas, followed by the mascarpone, mixing just to blend.
4.

Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Place the banana halves, cut-side up, on top of the batter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup demerara sugar and bake until the sides start to pull away and the cake is baked through in the centre (it’s a very dense, moist cake, but it should still spring back slightly when pressed in the centre), 90-100 minutes.
5.

Let cool completely before slicing.