Banana Chocolate Walnut Bread

I know it's only Thursday. I know we technically have a whole new day to get through before we can collapse in good conscience. But in the last four days, I've battled a fever and a cold and a smattering of seriously evil hormonal swings, so I've decided that this week is done. Done and over with. Move along, week. We've had enough of you here. Wake us up when it's next week and we can go back to speaking, walking, and living like normal people again.

If you've not yet been stricken by this miserable plague making the rounds of the Tri-State area, bless your lucky stars, then rush rush rush into the kitchen to bake something, preferably this banana cake. Trust me, it'll be the one bright and shiny spot in an otherwise miserable week when you, too, are felled by this winter ailment and need to eat something other than yet another half a grapefruit, a dusty Ricola lozenge, and that never-ending thermos of mint tea. (Oh yeah. It's coming for you. Don't think you can escape it.)

I happen to like baking my banana cake in a loaf pan, and if it's baked in a loaf pan, then I happen to like calling it banana bread instead of cake. You know? The butter versus oil debate is secondary to the pan debate and while it's true that all of this is semantics, yes, it's about the only thing my fever-addled brain can handle at this moment.

In fact, I don't even really seem to be capable of stringing coherent sentences together anymore, at least not without going cross-eyed and yelping feebly at the computer screen, so with that I leave you, folks. I'm going to bed and if my prayers are answered, I'll be waking up in about 72 hours.

Over and out.

Banana Chocolate Walnut Cake
Serves 8

I made a few changes from the original recipe, like eschewing the whole streusel thing Gourmet's version has going for it by incorporating the cinnamon, walnuts and chocolate directly into the batter. Oh, and reducing the sugar a little. Just a little! Yeesh.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, softened, plus more for the pan
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
2/3 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped (I used Trader Joe's chocolate chips)
1 cup walnuts, toasted, cooled, and coarsely chopped

1. Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle. Butter a loaf pan.

2. Stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Beat together softened butter (1 stick) and the sugar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, then beat in eggs 1 at a time until blended. Beat in bananas, yogurt, and vanilla (mixture will look curdled).

4. With mixer at low speed, add flour mixture and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the chopped nuts and the chocolate. Pour the batter into the cake pan, smoothing the top.

5. Bake until loaf is golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool loaf in pan on a rack 30 minutes, then turn out onto rack and cool completely.

Comments

[Susan in Williamsburg, VA]

Sounds good --- I will make it :)
I made the sweet potato/date muffins for my office this week and they were gobbled up in a flash. Thanks for your website--it's becoming one of my favorites!

[Dana]

I have three nastily overripe bananas sitting on my counter right now. And given the week I've had, I may just need to make this.

[Julie]

Your walnut bread sounds heavenly and your cold/flu/plague sounds horrid. Sleeping through the next 72 hours sounds medically sound to me; sleep is exactly what your body needs under the circumstances. Feel better!

[Jessica]

My co-workers and I had a Gourmet party, and we had to serve this cake to fit in with the theme. (No really, we work at Gourmet.com.) It was the best banana bread I've ever had. The baker kept the streusel on top, and I loved it that way.

[Bobbie]

So what do you think would happen if you used no-fat yogurt? I've used it to good effect in other baked things.

Feel better!

[ann]

Ugh, I had that. And the one thing I did not want to do while in the midst of that awful, creepy, cruddy, flu/cold hellishness was bake. All I could do was lie on the couch and whimper. You're such a trooper! Have a nice long weekend! After we get through this rain, it sounds like it's going to be awful nice :-)

[Melanie]

I agree - this seems more appealing to me when its baked in a loaf pan. This looks yummy and just made me hungry; banana/chocolate/walnut is one of my favorite combinations.

[Molly]

I hope you're sleeping as I type this! Feel better soon, m'dear. xo

[Hillary]

Banana bread is my weakness, especially with chocolate or mix ins! Great photo, love the plate too :)

[Thorsten]

This sounds fantastic. Only the measurement 1 stick for the butter doesn't sound familiar to me. (Sorry from Europe ;-) How much is this approximately in oz or grams?

[EB]

Feel better!

[eg]

Hi,

I'll butt in since no one else has answered yet. I looked at a stick of butter and it is 4 ounces or 113 grams.

I hope you feel better soon, Luisa. I have decided I am not getting sick this year but I did make some very good Aspen Oatmeal Bars to help me ward off any germs. Oats are healthy, right?

[Katy]

Love it. The choco-banana-nut combo is one of my fav things. Plus it is so fast, who doesnt love quick bread. Anyway, I just stumbled upon your blog and I thought I would say hello, your photos are lovely and your posts cracked me up.

[Sarah]

Feel better! This recipe looks like a little bit of happiness in the midst of an awful bout of sickness. Luckily I no longer live in the tri-state area, but I'm still crossing my fingers to not get too sick this year!

[Susan Updike]

This was a wonderfully, moist bread. Mine took a little longer to bake -- about 50 minutes -- I will make this again!

[RA]

Ohh, I wish I could make this. Alas, the husband is highly intolerant of bananas, so they never darken our doorstep and it is a source of sadness to me.

[Mar]

I have two bunches of bananas. I think this cake may be worthy of sacrificing some of them.

I hope you're feeling better.

[Astra Libris]

I sympathize - I too have been suffering through fever and piles of tissues... I hope you feel better soon! Your banana bread sounds like the perfect cure - thank you for the recipe!

[Kate]

Oof, I've been sick too lately for other reasons, and it's not a picnic. Though I'd love to bring this lovely little number if I were to go on one!

This is the first time I've visited your site (surfed over from Smitten Kitchen), and you're definitely bookmarked now!!

Thanks for the pretty pictures and the promise of some great food, too! :D

[KatyBelle]

I'm of the same mind in this, it doesn't matter what the fat in the recipe is (butter, oil, whatever) it's the shape of the pan. I mean, I have a couple of cake recipes that use oil as the main fat, and my favorite banana bread recipe uses butter.

In any case, these loaf-cakes are delicious no matter what shape they're in!

[Aoife]

That looks like just what the doctor ordered. I may have to bake a preemptive batch.

In other news, I've tagged you for Seven Random Things (http://yumbrosia.com/2008/02/03/seven-things). I hope you'll participate when you're feeling better!

[Susan from Food Blogga]

Looks lovely. I just posted on banana bread too made with coconut and almonds. Apparently, we have the Australians to thank for introducing chocolate into banana bread. Thank goodness for that. I'm going to add a link to this post at the end of mine. It's too delicious not to share.

[one food guy]

I love banana bread, it was one of those things that I was always looking forward to when I was a kid. My mom only made it when we didn't finish the bananas and they turned black on the counter. Add some chocolate and walnuts, yum, sounds delicious.

[michelle v]

I too love bananna bread, especially with chocolate. I am so glad Starbucks no longer has the bananna chocolate chip muffins b/c I don't need to eat one every day! I tried this, but used splenda instead of sugar and whole wheat flour. I thought it came out great.

[Lynn Michele]

I love banana bread and chocolate. How can you not? But, I am allergic to dairy. Is there anything else that can be used besides yogurt? I can use non-dairy butter.
Thanks for any help you can give.

[Luisa]

Thanks, everyone - feeling much better now! Oof, winter fevers are never fun.

Bobbie - I imagine non-fat yogurt would make this somewhat rubbery, but it's worth trying to see what the outcome will be: you never know!

Lynn Michele - oh dear, I have no idea what a good substitute would be. Do you ever bake with soy yogurt? I imagine that plain soy yogurt could work here, though I'm not entirely sure, having never used it in baking. I don't particularly like the taste, but if you're allergic to milk, it might be worth trying. Good luck!

[Jessica P]

I made this with non-fat yourgut it came out great. I did have to cook it closer to one hour, which I find pretty typical for non-yeast breads.

[Golly]

Ooooh, I was looking for a bog-standard banana bread recipe but this one looks so good. Thanks.

[Jessie]

All the people in my town in Sweden are on their way over to my flat right now...I am sure of it. The bread-cake is in the oven and the smell is oh so inviting! WOW. I know it's gonna be fantasic. Thanks a heep!

[Franziska]

Hmmmm...koestlich! Du hast jetzt auch Fans in Brasilien. Lieben Gruss von mir (+ dem Rest der Sippe)

[kacy]

took about an hour to bake... i should have added more sugar than you suggested, it isn't sweet enough.

[michele]

I'm going try to substitute creamcheese for the yogurt. I'll let you know how it comes out!

[Banana Bread]

Great recipe for banana bread.

Try some of mine if you get chance!

http://www.banana-bread.biz

[Dilys]

Greetings from the unusually snowy wastes of southern England (UK). A friend brought a version of this loaf last week and it was so good. I will try yours now to brighten up a cold glum day.

Thanks!

Dilys