Soft and spongy, this Loaded Banana Cake is packed with streaks of dark chocolate and crunchy bits of roasted nuts. The hearty flavours built upon the background flavour of riped bananas, this is one cake that everyone will appreciate!

My inspiration for this Loaded Banana Cake stems from my liking to mix the main three components together and to eat it together. The three components are chocolate, banana and nuts. This is an awesome trio that can’t go wrong and has been served together in various desserts and snacks.
I thought that it would be a brilliant idea for these three components to be assembled into an easy-to-make yet enjoyable treat. However, crafting this recipe is not without its own challenges. It was slightly daunting to ensure that the cake can hold the chocolate and cashew in yet remaining soft and fluffy without collapsing. I am really glad that I managed to nail it!
As this recipe is easy to make, I will not be elaborating too much on the procedures. However, I would strongly recommend the use of a hand-mixer (though please do not overmix). Using the hand-mixer, I had everything done in less than 5 minutes. Nonetheless, whisking by hand works just as well!
Furthermore, feel free to be creative with what you add but with research! Some baking ingredients such as oats tend to sound like a good idea, but can actually have effects on the finished products such as being too dry. Feel free to ask me if you need any ideas or if you have any questions!
Without further ado, the recipe!
Loaded Banana Cake Recipe
by Javier Tan February-22-2020
Soft and spongy, this Loaded Banana Cake has streaks of dark chocolate and crunchy bits of roasted nuts, their heartiness built on the aroma of bananas!
Ingredients
For Cake:
- 1/4 Cup or 60g of Unsalted Butter, Melted and Cooled
- 1 and 1/2 Cup or 180g of All-Purpose / Plain Flour
- 1/4 Cup or 50g of Granulated White Sugar
- 3 Tablespoons or 35g of Brown Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon or 15ml of Milk (Room Temperature)
- 3 Large and Ripe Bananas, weighing total of 210g without peel and mashed
- 1 Large Egg, weighing approx 60g including shell
- 1 Tsp or 5ml Vanilla Essence (2.5ml if using extract)
- 1/2 Tsp or 3g of Baking Soda
- 1/4 Tsp or 1.4g of Table Salt
- 1/8 Tsp of Ground Cinnamon (optional)
For Filling:
- 3/4 Cup or 150g of Dark Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Cup or 100g of Chopped Nuts (I used cashew)
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 9 inch baking tray with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 180 degreesC or 350F.
- Whisk together all the wet ingredients (mashed bananas, melted butter, milk, egg and vanilla)
- In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients (white sugar, brown sugar, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, flour, half of the dark chocolate chips and cashew).
- Then, fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until there are no dry lumps. Alternatively, use a hand-mixer for 2 minutes until there are no dry lumps.
- Next, transfer the batter into the baking try and even it out using a spoon or by hitting the tray against the counter. Use the remaining half of the chocolate to sprinkle as toppings for a nice finish (might be messy!).
- Bake for 21 to 24 minutes or until golden brown and slightly shrinking from sides of the baking pan.
- Finally, let it rest for 30 minutes before serving, or 1 hour before storing.
- Serve and enjoy!
Details
- Prep time: 15
- Cook time: 35
- Total time: 0
- Yield: 1 Amazing Loaded Banana Cake!
Notes:
- 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!
- Best eaten within 3 days!
- Feel free to ask if you need help!
Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan
Hi! Can I omit nuts from this recipe if I am not a big fan of nuts? With just dark choc and banana, will this recipe turn out ok?
Hey Grace, hope I didn’t get back too late and thanks for dropping by my blog!
Yup sure, the recipe will work out well! I will suggest adding slightly more chocolates if you still want it to be “loaded” as the omission of nuts might make it a little empty. Can consider substitutes such as cranberries etc too!
I failed! Cake was dense like kuih. Was careful to stop when no more lumpy. What went wrong?
Is is due to using baking powder?
Hey Janet! Its likely that its because it was overmixed, hence causing the flour to develop a bread like / kuih like structure. Doubt its the baking powder!
In the future if the flour is clumpy, can consider sifting it first so that when you mix it in the batter it is easy to mix in without overmixing. Then once all dry ingredients are incorporated, stop mixing so that it doesn’t develop further. Hope that helps :)!
Hi. May i know what kind of milk do you use?
Hey Zack! Full-cream milk or normal skimmed milk both work fine :-)!
Hi, how should I adjust the temp and duration if I’m using a round mould say 6 inch or 8 inch ?
Hey Ailin, thank you for dropping by my blog! For the 6 inch wise its slightly tricky. I will suggest you to halve the recipe and bake it per the usual baking time.
For the 8 inch, it will be easier to adjust. I will give it about plus 6 – 8 minutes and make sure that your toothpick comes out with at most 2-3 crumbs!
Hope that helps 🙂
Hi, what about for a 7″ round cake tin and using air fryer. What do you recommend regarding any changes to your recipe? Thank you
Hey Eliza,
Unfortunately I can’t advice as I haven’t tried using this cake or baking cakes using air fryers. However, I am of the impression that steamed cakes might work better for air fryers!
May I know why the cake does not rise up?
Should I put baking soda instead of baking powder?
Appreciate your advice
Hey Katy! Baking Soda should work! Do you happen to have pictures of the cake? I may be able to help from there! Mine did rise quite a bit texture wise, its slightly soft and fluffy!
Is it baking soda or baking powder?
Hey Katy! I use Baking Soda 🙂 It has leavening property similar to baking powder too, but slightly stronger I believe!
Hi, Javier
Your cake looks so nice, what temperature do u use for baking this cake?
Hey Irene! Thank you for dropping by and for the kind praise 😀
I used 180 degrees C or 350F for this cake 🙂
I have tried baking banana cakes several times and I ALWAYS fail. The cake will turn out dense and the texture is like “kuih”. I really does not know why and it is very frustrating. Looking at your recipe I would love to give it one more try. However I have a question – you mentioned do not overmixed. How would I know whether I hve overbeat or underbeat the batter?
Hey Anne! I am so happy to hear that you are giving it one more try. Never ever give up! I would say that for overbeating / underbeating it comes with experience. But here is how I can help with:
(1) For underbeating, you will still be able to observe dry ingredients, or clumps of them.
(2) For overbeating, it happens when all the dry ingredients are already dissolved but too much beating proceeds after that. This develops the flour too much, leading to a very dense finish.
Personally, I like to use a spoon or a rubber spatula and just mix everything for at most 1.5 – 2 minutes. Sometimes it comes together so fast that even 30 seconds is enough! I hope that helps.
Otherwise, feel free to let me know how we can do it, but i will be glad to guide you real-time picture after picture. You can send me as you bake along the way in your kitchen!
What do you do with the other half of the chocolate?
Hey Bella! Thanks for noticing it! I have changed it to using the other half as the topping for a nice finish instead. You are really observant :p
I love baking…. starting. Learning on my own. Can I follow you?
I am so glad that you love baking too! Feel free to follow and I will be glad to try my best to help you along the way too ^_^