
Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake really is cake nirvana. It is moist chocolatey deliciousness that you can eat absolutely plain, or you can dust it with a light dusting of confectioner’s (icing) sugar. Glaze it if you like, or if you are very brave, frost it with chocolate buttercream. Buttercream makes for a very rich cake, but there’s nothing wrong with that.
If you don’t plan to glaze or frost the cake, you can serve it just off room temperature – not too warm or it won’t slice properly – with a scoop of ice cream melting over the top. Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake is also yummy with a small dollop of whipped cream and some sliced bananas.
I’ve been making this Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake recipe for years, ever since my cousin Esther made this recipe for a family gathering almost thirty years ago. It was one of my husband’s first visits to my family in Canada. Esther made the cake in layers and decorated it with flowers and butterflies, which looked gorgeous and tasted even better.
A Versatile, Easy to Make Cake
Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake is one of the easiest to make, go-to cakes I know. You can make it in an ordinary Nordic Ware Bundt Pan (affiliate link), or a decorative Nordic Ware Bundt Pan (affiliate link). The pans are reliable, long lasting, and in my experience, the cakes always come out of the pans beautifully but be sure to follow the directions for greasing or oiling the pan. Of course you can always make this Chocolate Banana Cake as two or three layers or about 24 cupcakes.
I make this cake all year round, but I also love making a decorative cake like this one at Christmas; the icing sugar reminds me of snow!
Be careful not to overfill the Bundt pan with batter; leave some space for the cake to rise. If your pan is too small, you can use the extra batter to make cupcakes, which will bake in about 15 minutes. This recipe freezes well if you have any leftovers, although we rarely have leftovers!
Can The Recipe Be Made Without a Bundt Pan?
Absolutely! You can make this cake in two or three 8 or 9 inch layer cake pans or it will make about 24 cupcakes.
When making a layer cake, be careful not to over-fill the pans. I sometimes make three layers with this recipe instead of just two because it is easier to frost – although you do need a bit more frosting! Two layers will usually take about 20 to 25 minutes to bake and three layers about 15 to 20 minutes. You can test them by inserting a skewer or piece of dry spaghetti in the centre. When the cake is done it will come out clean (without any batter clinging to it).
Cupcakes take about 15 to 20 minutes to bake. Again, do the skewer test to be sure they are done, and always leave cake or cupcakes until they are completely cooled before frosting. .
You probably have the ingredients for Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake already on hand. If not, they are pretty easy to assemble. I’ve used bananas from the freezer and from the fruit bowl with equal success.
Recipe Adjustments
When I first started making this cake years ago, it was hard to get sour cream in England, so I used crème fraîche or plain or vanilla yogurt, all of which work well. Low fat sour cream and crème fraîche work too, although I think the results are even better with full fat varieties.
I have reduced the sugar in the recipe a bit, and I recommend using unsalted butter.
Once or twice I have added cinnamon to the batter and was very pleased with the results, although I tend to stick with the original recipe most of the time.
The Secret To Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake
You may find Step 8 of the instructions a little shocking, but please don’t be alarmed. While pouring the boiling water over top of the batter does sound a little crazy, it actually makes for an incredibly moist and delicious cake. Just use care when pouring and stirring as boiling water is, well, boiling hot! Please take care not to burn yourself.
Storing Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake
The unfrosted cake keeps well covered at room temperature for at least 3 days. If you have used buttercream frosting you may want to refrigerate the cake to help the frosting stay fresh. You can freeze the cake or cupcakes without frosting for up to one month.
Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake – Printable Recipe
Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter, softened unsalted butter if possible
- 1¾ cups granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- ⅓ cup sour cream, crème fraîche or plain yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2½ cups all purpose (plain) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ⅓ cup cocoa
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon, optional
- ¼ teaspoon salt omit if using butter with added salt
- 1 cup boiling water
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Grease a large Bundt pan with butter or cake release spray.
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cocoa, salt and cinnamon (if using). Set aside.
- Cream the softened butter and sugar in the large bowl of an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
- Add the bananas, sour cream and vanilla and beat into the batter.
- Remove the bowl from the electric mixer and stir in the flour mixture using a wooden spoon.
- Pour the boiling water over the batter and stir in carefully.
- Pop the bowl back on the electric mixer and beat the batter for about one minute.
- Pour the batter into the Bundt pan.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
- If using layer cake pans the layers will take about 20 to 25 minutes to bake, Cupcakes will take 15 to 20 minutes to bake. The cakes are done when a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
- When cool, dust with confectioner’s sugar (icing sugar), glaze or frost with chocolate buttercream. Or just serve plain, slightly warm from the oven with some ice cream melting slowly over the top.
did you make this recipe?
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More Banana Cake Recipes You Will Love
Spiced Banana Nut Loaf with Ginger Glaze
Comments & Reviews
That…that would almost be worth facing the 2 or 3 days of consequences from eating gluten and dairy! Thank you for sharing your elegant, rich ideas and reminding readers we can live a beautiful life that celebrates hospitality and grace.
Thank you so much, Ann! That is such a lovely compliment!
I’ve just been thinking this recipe and I seem to remember that Esther originally used Crisco shortening instead of butter. I am sure dairy free yogurt would work instead of sour cream. I’ve not done much experimentation with gluten free baking, but I wonder if this recipe could be converted?
Cousin Esther has great taste in cakes….this looks soooo yummy! Thanks for sharing on #CakeFriday!!! 🙂
Thank you, Becky 🙂
I pinned this cake. I love bundt cakes because they are usually easy to make and they feed a lot of people, especially teenagers who eat seconds and thirds of dessert. Your desserts are always just right, I love that they are never overly sweet. Thank you so much April, for sharing this cake with us on foodie friday.
Thank you, Diane, that’s a lovely compliment! I love bundt cakes for the same reasons as you do, and I like that they are easier to glaze or frost than a layer cake 🙂
Looks amazing!
Thank you, Diana!
Hi April,
I agree that Esther makes beautiful cakes and so happy that you are able to share her creative work with all of us. Your Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake looks so moist and delicious. I would really enjoy a nice slice of this cake with my afternoon tea which I am about to have. Thank you so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great weekend!
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you, Miz Helen! I hope you have a lovely weekend too 🙂 x
What a lovely and very yummy cake! I am the worst bundt cake baker ever,but, this I would give a try 🙂
Thank you so much for linking up at Share Your Stuff Tuesdays April!!
I’m sure you would love this cake, Erin 🙂
Love this bundt cake, April. Chocolate and banana are such a great combo! I like your cake so much that I am choosing it as one of my favorites at tomorrow’s All My Bloggy Friends. Thanks so much for linking up with us – I can’t wait to see what you share this week! 🙂
Thank you so much for the feature, Jamie! That is so kind of you 🙂
Thanks so much for linking up with “Try a New Recipe Tuesday.” I am featuring you this week! Congratulations! 🙂 Be sure to stop by and grab an “I’ve been featured” button from my sidebar for your blog. 🙂 I hope you will be able to link up again this week. 🙂 http://our4kiddos.blogspot.com/2013/08/try-new-recipe-tuesday-august-29.html
Thank you so much, Lisa! It’s really lovely of you to feature me! I’ll be sure to give “Try a New Recipe Tuesday” a shout out on my Facebook page 🙂
I like banana bundt cake with chocolate, your cousin is very talented. Hope you had wonderful anniversary celebration. Beautiful cake.
I’m glad you like the cake, Swathi. It really is delicious. Our tenth wedding anniversary celebration really is a wonderful memory. It’s hard to believe it was twelve years ago now 🙂
Oh goodness, this looks spectacular! Thanks for sharing at Simple Supper Tuesday. Have a great week, April!
Thank you so much, Cindy! I hope you have a great week too 🙂
Bananas and Chocolate I died and went to heaven thanks for the awesome recipe following on google+ from wonderful food have a great day
Thank you so much, Lorraine! I’m so glad you like it. I will follow you back on G+ if I haven’t already 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful day too!
What a delicious and beautiful looking bundt cake! It sounds wonderful!
Thank you, Maria. It really is delicious, even though I am saying it myself 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Hi! Made the bundt cake and it turned our so moist and delicious! Was wondering, if i can make this into a 2 layer cake and if so, do i need to do anything different to the recipe or baking heat/time?
Hi Jlainne, I’m so glad you liked the recipe! I’ve never made this cake as a two layer cake but in theory it ought to be possible. If I were going to give it a try, I wouldn’t change the recipe itself. However cooking time would be reduced as the layers are thinner than the Bundt cake. I’d suggest setting the timer for twenty minutes and then watching it closely from there. I would have thought the layers would cook in 25 to 30 minutes. If you do try it, please let me know how it turns out 🙂
What a beautiful cake and I’ll bet it’s delicious!
– Nancy
Thank you so much, Nancy! It really is delicious 🙂
Hi April,
This is a fantastic Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake, we will love it! Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and thanks so much for sharing your awesome post with us at Full Plate Thursday!
Miz Helen
Thank you so much, Miz Helen! Merry Christmas to you and yours!
YUM!! Pinned for later 🙂
Thank you so much for pinning, Dee! I hope you enjoy the recipe as much as we do!
Your awesome post is featured on Full Plate, 513 this week. Thanks so much for sharing with us and come back soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you for the recipe April. The bundt cake baked up nicely and has great flavor. It does not need frosting it is so moist and flavorful. Added the cinnamon as you suggested too.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe, Lynn! I often add the cinnamon; it just seems to make the cake extra special. Thank you for your kind comment. Wishing you a very Happy New Year!