The key to this recipe is to use high-quality baking chocolate with a cocoa content of 60% or more. I like to use the Dutch unsweetened cocoa powder, like the ones from Droste, Ghirardelli, and Scharffen Berger.
Yield: 6-8 servings
Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients:
Cake:
- 1 stick (4 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 medium ripe bananas, about 1 cup, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache:
- 3 oz semi-sweet chocolate (60-65% cocoa) chips or a chocolate bar chopped in small pieces
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp rum (optional)
- 1/4 cup pecan halves, roasted
Cake:
- 115 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 225 g sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 150 g all-purpose flour
- 25 g unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 medium ripe bananas, about 225 g, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Ganache:
- 85 g semi-sweet chocolate (60-65% cacao) chips or chopped in small pieces
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp rum (optional)
- 30 g pecan halves, roasted
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC. Butter and flour a loaf pan. In a mixer, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat well after adding each egg. Sift flour, unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Add flour mixture to the butter-sugar mix, alternating it with the banana mash. Add the vanilla extract.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake it for 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Place cake pan on a rack and let it cool for 10 minutes before removing it from the pan. Set aside and allow to cool completely.
Meanwhile, place the semi-sweet chocolate chips in a bowl. Melt chocolate in the microwave. Let it cool a bit and add the butter. Beat it until smooth and shiny and allow it to cool a bit longer. Add the milk and rum. Beat again to obtain a smooth consistency. If chocolate frosting seems too runny for spreading, place frost in the fridge for a couple of minutes until it has reached the consistency of your liking. Glaze the cake top and sides. Sprinkle with the roasted pecans.
