Peanut Butter Chocolate Chunk Banana Cake
This easy, one-bowl, no-mixer cake turns out so soft, moist, fluffy, and bouncy, thanks to a combo of bananas, bit of oil, Greek yogurt, and peanut butter, which all help keep the cake tender and springy. Peanut butter is used both in the batter and on top of the cake for swirling. Don’t overdo the swirls or they’ll seem to disappear while the cake bakes. Between the sweet banana base, the peanut butter swirls and rich dark chocolate on top, no frosting or glaze is necessary. It makes a great coffee cake, casual after-dinner cake, or make it anytime there’s ripe bananas to use.
Ingredients
- ½ cup peanut butter creamy
- 3 tablespoons canola oil vegetable, or melted coconut oil
- 1 egg large
- 5 to 6 ounces banana
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup banana about 2 medium, ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch salt optional and to taste
- ¼ peanut butter for swirling on top, creamy
- dark chocolate roughly chopped (semi-sweet chocolate chips may be substituted, about 4 ounces
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with aluminum foil, spray with cooking spray; set aside.
- In a large, microwave-safe mixing bowl, combine 1/2 cup peanut butter, oil, and heat on high power for about 30 seconds, just long enough to nicely soften peanut butter so it can be whisked together easily with the oil. Whisk until smooth and combined.
- Add the egg, yogurt, sugar, vanilla, and whisk until smooth.
- Add the mashed banana and stir to combine; batter will be lumpy because of the bananas.
- Add the flour, baking powder, optional salt, and stir until just combined; don’t overmix.
- Turn batter out into prepared pan, smoothing the top lightly with a spatula; set aside.
- To a mixing bowl (the same one used for the cake batter is fine, no need to wash it provided you scraped it fairly well with a spatula) add 1/4 cup peanut butter and heat on high power to melt it, about 30 seconds.
- Drizzle peanut butter over cake and lightly swirl it in with a knife, going up and back in a zigzag pattern. Don’t get too carried away with swirling or peanut butter will sink into the cake while baking and won’t be visible.
- Evenly sprinkle the chocolate over the pan.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, or until done. The top will be domed and golden, the center set, and a toothpick inserted should come out mostly clean, or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. At any point if your cake is getting a bit too golden or dark before the center is setting, tent with foil (lay a sheet of foil over the top of your cake; I didn’t need to, but ovens and ingredients vary). Baking times could vary from 25 to 40 minutes based on water content of the bananas, yogurt, climate, and oven variances; bake until done. Watch your cake, not the clock.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 1 8x8-inch cake, 8 generous pieces
Amount Per Serving
Calories 313
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1 | |
| Calories | 313kcal | 16% |
| Carbohydrates | 40g | 13% |
| Protein | 6g | 12% |
| Fat | 15g | 23% |
| Saturated Fat | 6g | 30% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 8g | 47% |
| Cholesterol | 24mg | 8% |
| Sodium | 234mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 3g | 12% |
| Sugar | 30g | 60% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.