If you’ve got a couple of overripe bananas on your counter, this is one bake that never disappoints! This Chocolate Banana Butter Cake brings together the richness of a classic butter cake with the natural sweetness of ripe bananas, and a beautiful chocolate swirl that makes every slice feels just a little more special!

It’s soft, fragrant and indulgent without being overly heavy. Best of all, you don’t need any complicated techniques to get there!

Why You Will Love This Cake

  1. Best of both worlds
    You get the buttery, tender crumb of a traditional butter cake, paired with the moistness and flavour of banana cake. This is just like my Banana Butter Cake! The chocolate swirls adds just enough depth to balance everything out.
  2. Perfect for overripe bananas
    The riper the bananas, the better the flavour. Instead of letting them go to waste, this recipe transforms them into something you will actually look forward to baking, and eating every morning!
  3. Simple, beginner-friendly techniques
    No fancy equipment or complicated steps. If you can cream butter and sugar, you can make this cake. The marbling effect? Classy and elegant, and also easier than it looks.
  4. Aesthetic without the effort
    The chocolate banana swirl gives you a naturally beautiful pattern in every slice, perfect for serving, gifting or sharing on your socials.
  5. Versatile for any occasion
    It works just as well as a casual tea-time bake as it does for small gatherings. Serve it warm, at room temperature or even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Baking Notes & Tips for a Successful Chocolate Banana Butter Cake

  • Room temperature ingredients matter. This helps prevent curdling and gives you a smoother batter overall. Nonetheless and if the batter curdles, rescue the cake when incorporating the flour.
  • Don’t over swirl. A few gentle swirls will give you defined ribbons. Overmixing will muddy the pattern.
  • A crack on top is normal. Like most butter cakes, a slight crack may form during baking. It’s completely fine and often settles as the cake cools!
  • Let it cool before slicing. This helps the crumb set properly and gives you cleaner slices!

This Chocolate Banana Cake is one of those recipes you will come back to again and again (or at least I did!). It’s reliable, easy to make, and delivers on both flavour and texture every time. And once you smell the aroma in your kitchen and slice into that marbled interior, you will know its worth it!

Without further ado, the recipe!

Chocolate Banana Butter Cake Recipe
by Javier Tan April-06-2026

This fragrant Chocolate Banana Butter Cake comes with the best of both worlds, and is a recipe I come back baking again and again!

Ingredients 

  • 1/2 Cup or 120g of Butter, Softened at Room Temp
  • 1/2 Cup + 1 Tbsp or 120g of Granulated White Sugar
  • 2 Eggs, approx 60g each
  • 1 Tsp or 5ml of Vanilla Essence
  • 1/3 Cup + 1 Tbsp or 100g Milk, Room Temp
  • Approx 2 – 3 Large Ripen Bananas, or 200g without peel, mashed
  • For Banana Batter A (sift if needed):
    3/4 Cup or 90g Flour
    1/2 Tsp or 2g Baking Powder
  • For Chocolate Banana Batter B (sift if needed):
    2/3 Cup or 75g Flour
    1/2 Tsp or 2g Baking Powder
    3 Tbsp or 20g of Cocoa Powder

Instructions

  1. First, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy, approx 2 minutes.
  2. Then, mix in the eggs one at a time untl well combined.
  3. Whisk in the vanilla, milk and mashed bananas until combined.
  4. Next, divide the batter into two and fold in the dry ingredients in separately until well incorporated. Do not overmix.
  5. To a 7 inch round pan lined with parchment paper, add the banana batter and chocolate batter in alternate spoonfuls. Then, swirl the batter with a few figures of 8 before tapping to even it out.
  6. Bake 160C, 45 – 55 minutes until nicely golden brown. If it browns too much at the top, cover with a piece of aluminium foil.
  7. Leave to cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing.
  8. Serve and enjoy!

Details

  • Prep time: 30 mins
  • Cook time: 1 hour
  • Total time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Yield: 1 x Delicious Chocolate Banana Butter Cake

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Serve fresh at room temperature (on the day itself and up to 4) or in a fridge (up to a week). If refrigerated, do remove it 20 – 30 mins prior to serving.
  3. Please do not copy and paste the recipe without my permission, but feel free to link back here!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan