Name: Healthy Chocolate Banana Cake with Buttermilk
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 80 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 12 people
Ingredients: 320 g flour ((11.29 oz)); 60 g cocoa or cacao powder ((2.12 oz)); 2 tsp baking powder; 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda; 1/3 tsp fine sea salt; 3 medium ripe bananas (mashed (peeled weight approx. 330 g)); 3 medium eggs; 150 ml vegetable oil; 250 ml buttermilk; 150 g sugar; 120 g dark brown soft sugar; 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

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This moist and fluffy, healthy chocolate banana cake recipe is made using buttermilk and a moderate amount of sugar. It’s an everyday simple cake that comes together in minutes.

This easy healthy chocolate banana cake is simple to make and takes under 15 minutes to prepare. Low in sugar and fat, it is made with buttermilk and oil so it’s light, fluffy and super delicious!

Healthy Chocolate Banana Cake – Ingredients

Can chocolate cake be healthy?

Yes! There are many ways of making our favourite desserts a little healthier. I like to swap butter for vegetable oil, for example, which is what I’ve done in this cake recipe. I also try to use a moderate amount of sugar in my baking. For me too much sugar can sometimes overpower the overall flavour of a cake.

Using bananas in a dessert recipe is a good way of adding natural sweetness so there is no need to add a huge amount of sugar. Thanks also to the bananas this simple chocolate cake is quite moist.

In addition to the healthy oil and a moderate amount of sugar this easy homemade chocolate cake also contains buttermilk. This nutritious ingredient is delicious as a beverage but also great in baking. You might like banana buttermilk muffins, marzipan cake or cauliflower cheese scones).

I also like to use cacao powder which is a little healthier than cocoa, but either one is fine in this recipe. (You might also like this collection of 27 everyday healthy cacao recipes).

How to make healthy chocolate banana cake: step-by-step

1.Preheat the oven to 180 C. Line the bottom of a 24 cm spring-form pan with parchment paper, grease the sides and dust with flour. In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients, including both sugars, and stir thoroughly using a whisk.

2. In another bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla until smooth.

3. Pour in the mashed banana and stir to combine.

4. Then simply combine the 2 mixtures and stir only until the dry ingredients are no longer visible.

5. Pour the cake batter into your pan and bake in the centre of the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes.

6. Remove from the oven and set aside for 15 minutes. Then carefully remove the ring from the pan and allow the cake to cool completely before cutting. Decorate with chocolate shavings (optional).

Top tips for making chocolate and banana cake

Use very ripe bananas for maximum sweetness.
Do not overstir the batter. Stir just to combine the ingredients.
Decorate with chocolate shavings (use a grater), powdered sugar, chocolate drizzle or enjoy without any toppings.
Best served on the day. Keep covered and use within 3 days.
Freeze for up to 3 months.

More healthy chocolate cake recipes

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If you make this simple chocolate and banana cake I’d love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks!

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