Name: Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 380 min
Ingredients: 2 semisweet chocolate bars (4 ounces each), finely chopped; 1 cup heavy whipping cream or heavy cream; 3 cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour; 1 ½ cups mashed bananas (3-4 ripe bananas); 12 tbsp or ¾ cup softened, unsalted butter (room temperature); 1 tsp baking soda; 1 ½ tsp baking powder; ⅓ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp salt; ½ cup dark or light brown sugar; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 ⅓ cup buttermilk, room temperature; 3 eggs, room temperature; 2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Jump to Recipe

I still remember the first time my nanny baked the chocolate marble banana Bundt cake. The moment she popped the cake out of the oven, the yummy smell wafted around the kitchen, luring me to devour that luxurious treat. And now, my kiddos are just as obsessed with the dessert. That’s a family thing, I guess. Enough for chitchatting! Let me reveal the secret recipe!

Why We All Love Chocolate Banana Bundt Cake

A melt-in-your-mouth texture: After trying countless banana recipes, like banana cake or bread, I’ve come to learn that nothing beats bananas for loading our cake with tons of moisture. When paired with chocolate chips, the duo unleashes their moistening power, resulting in an incredibly moist, luscious texture that melts in your mouth.

A harmonious symphony of flavors: Bananas add a delightful sweetness to the cake without being overly sugary, while chocolate infuses an aromatic vanilla nuance that enhances the richer flavor profile. Oh, how could I forget the velvety chocolate ganache on top? It beautifully rounds off the flavor, leaving a lingering bitter-sweet aftertaste.

A visual feast for any party: Bundt cakes are always favored for their stunning appearance, and this marble banana cake recipe is even more elegant with its striking marble effect – a real showstopper in any get-together. What’s more, these cakes are all about sharing, with enough servings to feed a whole crowd. What could be a better choice for a party?

14 Basic Steps To Make Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake

Make the Ganache

Step 1

Let’s kick off with the ganache first!

Chop two bars of semisweet chocolate (4 ounces each) and toss them into a heat-proof bowl. Chopping them finely can help shorten the melting time later.

Step 2

Pour 1 cup of heavy cream into a saucepan and cook it over medium heat. Once you see the cream start bubbling, immediately pour it into the chopped chocolate bowl. Don’t wait until it reaches a full boil! That’s too hot for our delicate chocolate and can mess with its consistency.

Step 3

Let the chocolate soak in the heated cream for a couple of minutes. Then, gently whisk it so the chocolate can melt and blend in the cream nicely.

Once everything combines, you’ll get about 1 ½ cups of chocolate ganache.

Step 4

Scoop half of the ganache (¾ cup) into a separate bowl and let it sit at room temperature without cover for at least 30 minutes. This cooling time allows it to thicken into a heavenly velvety texture, much like gravy.

For the rest of the ganache, cover it tightly and pop it into the fridge for topping later.

Note: If chocolate ganache topping is not your cup of tea, halve the required ingredients (one 4-ounce chocolate bar and ½ cup of cream). That will yield just enough ganache for the fancy marble swirls inside.

Make the Cake

Step 5

Let your oven warm up to 350°F or 177°C. Grab a 10-inch Bundt cake pan and generously grease it with nonstick spray.

Step 6

Mash 3-4 ripe bananas until they’re smooth like a dream, yielding about 1 ½ cups. My fellows, we aim for a lump-free texture here. I swear by my food processor for finely mashed bananas, but a mixer, a blender, a potato masher, or even a fork can work in a pinch. Set it aside.

Step 7

In a medium bowl, stir the all-purpose flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and a pinch of salt together. Set aside.

Step 8

Toss ¾ cup of unsalted butter into a mixing bowl and beat it on high for 1 minute using a stand or handheld mixer with a paddle attachment.

Once it’s creamy, fold in 1 cup of granulated sugar and ½ cup of brown sugar. Beat the mixture on high for around 2 minutes until combined. Remember to scrape down the bowl in between to ensure no grainy lumps are left.

Step 9

Stir in 3 eggs and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Dial down the mixer to medium-high speed and beat until incorporated. Then, fold in the mashed bananas.

Scrape down the bowl when mixing. Don’t worry if the mixture seems curdled and chunky; it’s part of the charm!

Step 10

Reduce the mixer to low speed. Add one-third of the dry ingredients, followed by one-third of the buttermilk. Beat them until combined before continuing with the next addition.

Repeat until you finish with three additions and the batter is incorporated, but some lumps are totally okay. You’ll get about 6 cups of batter.

Don’t go too hard on the mixing! Overmixing can result in an off-putting, dense cake.

Step 11

Remember the ganache we set aside? It’s time to give it some spotlight by blending it with the batter.

Pour ⅓ of the batter into the greased Bundt pan, then top it with ½ of the chocolate ganache. Use a toothpick or the point of a knife to swirl the mixture so the batter and ganache mingle into a delicate marble pattern.

Continue with ⅓ of the batter and the remaining ganache and finish with the rest of the batter. Swirl everything again to ensure a natural marble effect.

Step 12

Pop the pan into the preheated oven for 60 to 75 minutes, depending on your oven. Some ovens might take longer to evenly bake a cake this big, so don’t worry!

Keep a close eye while baking. If you notice the cake browns too fast, loosely cover it with aluminum foil for even baking. The cake is ready if a toothpick poked into it comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.

Assembling and Topping

Step 13

Take the pan out of the oven and let the cake rest for 2 hours. Then, free it from the pan and allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Step 14

Remove the ganache from the fridge. Stir it gently over low heat until it thins out into a velvety, drizzle-able texture. Otherwise, pop it in the microwave with 10-second bursts and stir in between until it reaches the desired consistency. Don’t overheat it!

Drizzle the chocolate ganache over the cake, slice, and dig in!

Pro tip: The cake might be too big for one go. You can cover and store the leftovers in the pantry for 2 days or in the fridge for 5 days.

Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake final

Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake recipe

Notes

DIY Buttermilk

There might be some time when you open the refrigerator just to discover there’s no buttermilk left for your chocolate banana Bundt cake. I’ve been there, too. Don’t sweat! I bet making homemade buttermilk is within everyone’s reach.

Grab a liquid cup, add 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar, and fill it with whole milk (or nondairy, low-fat milk) at room temperature to 1 ⅓ cups. Stir well and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. And you’re good to go! By the way, I don’t recommend skipping buttermilk because it’s the secret weapon behind the moist, tender cake.

The Best Chocolate For The Win

I swear by semisweet chocolate for most of my chocolate-based baking recipes. It never disappoints me, striking a balance between sweetness and bitterness with a subtle hint of vanilla. If that’s not available, then switch to milk or dark chocolate. But white chocolate is a no-go!

FAQs

Can I Make It Ahead Of Time?

Of course! You can make the ganache up to 5 days in advance; just remember to store it in the fridge. The cake can be baked the night before, or you can freeze it for 2-3 months.

Can I Make It Vegan?

Absolutely! Swap coconut milk for buttermilk, seed or nut butter for dairy butter, nondairy chocolate for dairy chocolate, and flax eggs for normal eggs. Easy peasy!

—Have fun with my simple recipe!