This snack cake may look striking, unique, and celebratory, but it is so simple and fun to make. Just like a regular banana bread, we make the batter in two (ish) bowls, one for the wet, one for the dry, but we separate the batter and add cocoa powder to one batch. Then, to get an even bake, we're putting it in an 8x8 square pan. This makes it so the cake bakes evenly across the whole pan rather than cooking on the edges before the center is cooked. Perfect for any time of day, this snack cake will bring a smile to your face and be delicious all year round!
Special Ingredients: Notes and Tips
Cocoa Powder: I always use 100% pure cocoa powder, but if you want to use Dutch-processed cocoa powder instead, feel free! Just note that the batter will be darker, so watch for signs that the cake is done baking carefully.
Liquid Sweetener: I like to use maple syrup or honey in this recipe. This recipe is a simple way to use up any remaining liquid sweeteners in your pantry. Brown Rice Syrup, Agave Syrup, or Date Syrup may also work, but it might affect the taste of the banana bread.
Cinnamon: I always add cinnamon to my banana bread. The warmth of the spice pairs perfectly with the flavor of the bananas. Chocolate and cinnamon also pair quite nicely. However, if you don't have any on hand, don't stress it.
Vegan Chocolate Banana Swirl Snack Cake (with sourdough discard)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Combine plant milk and apple cider vinegar in a small bowl to make vegan buttermilk. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.60 grams Plant Milk, 6 grams Apple Cider Vinegar
- Mash the bananas and sourdough starter together.365 grams Overripe Bananas, 100 grams Sourdough Starter, active or discard
- In a large bowl, combine the wet ingredients: brown sugar, liquid sweetener, olive oil, vanilla, and vegan buttermilk.125 grams Brown Sugar, 40 grams Liquid Sweetener (Maple syrup, honey, agave syrup, etc.), 125 grams Olive Oil, 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients:1/2 tsp. Cinnamon, 243 g All Purpose Flour, 1/2 tsp. Baking Soda, 1/2 tsp Baking Powder, 3 grams Fine Sea Salt
- Add the mashed banana and sourdough starter to the wet ingredients.365 grams Overripe Bananas, 100 grams Sourdough Starter, active or discard
- Pour the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients. Fold to combine. Be careful not to mix too much; just fold the ingredients until just combined.
- Pour half your batter into the bowl we used for the dry ingredients (now that the bowl is empty, don't dirty a new bowl; just reuse the dry bowl!).
- Add the Cocoa powder to half of the batter and fold until just combined. Add Dark Chocolate chips if you'd like, too.
- Let it sit for 5 minutes. While your batter rests, grease an 8x8 pan. I like to use olive oil to grease the pan, as the main fat in the loaf is olive oil.
- Scoop the Chocolate and Vanilla batter into the pan, alternating back and forth with each type of batter. Once all the batter is in the pan, with a toothpick, marble and swirl the batters together. Not too much; I recommend going vertically, then horizontally across the whole pan.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Once baked, allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then flip the bread out onto a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.
