Choc Banana Loaf

I have never been able to figure out the difference between banana cake and banana bread. I think one is baked in a round cake tin and the other in a loaf tin, otherwise they're pretty much the same. I've found a loophole by being non-committal and I'm calling this choc banana loaf.

For me, the addition of the dark choc chips makes this 10 times more amazing than a regular banana cake. It doesn't last more than 2 days in our house and there's only the two of us eating it.

This will cook up nicely in a 13 x 23cm (standard) loaf tin, or as separate cup cakes. I have also divided the mixture over 2 small foil loaf tins (9 x 18cm) so that I could give it as gifts.

If you have bananas that are ripe and ready for a cake, but don't have time to cook, you can freeze the bananas. I like to peel them first and put them into a ziploc bag. They are weird and floppy when you defrost them, but they cook up fine. You can also freeze them in the skins. The skins will turn black in the freezer, but that's fine.


Chocolate Banana Loaf

300g (2 cups) plain flour

2 tsp baking powder
190g (3/4 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
100g butter, melted

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 ripe bananas
200g (1 heaped cup) dark chocolate chips 

Pre-heat oven to 180°C (350°F). Lightly grease a loaf tin. You can line it with baking paper to make it easier to get the loaf out, but you don't need it. 

Mash the bananas. I like to push them through my potato ricer, but you can do it with a fork. 

Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and mix in the sugar. Make a well in the centre and add the butter, eggs, vanilla and banana and stir to combine. Gently stir through the choc chips. 

Pour the batter into the tin and bake for 1 hr - 1 hr 15 minutes or until the loaf is cooked when tested with a skewer. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool.