Chocolate Banana Marble Bread

I've been making banana bread for years and years. But I use the same recipe every time, which includes whole wheat flour, dried cranberries, and walnuts. The bread turns out amazingly delicious, but I wanted to try a new recipe for banana bread. This new recipe calls for cake flour instead of whole wheat and the nuts are omitted. What sold me is the addition of cocoa powder to make beautiful chocolate swirls in every slice.


Recipe!

Chocolate-Banana Marble Bread
Ingredients

• 2 large very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup buttermilk, at room temp.
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons boiling water
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temp., lightly beaten

STEP 1: Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9 by 5-inch loaf pan with melted butter and line it with parchment paper that extends 1 inch beyond the long edge of both sides of the pan.

STEP 2: Mash bananas and whisk in the buttermilk and vanilla until just blended, set aside. Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together into a medium bowl. Whisk to blend well, then set aside.

Place cocoa powder in a small bowl. Add the boiling water and mix thoroughly until the mixture falls off a spoon in a thick glob. Set aside.

STEP 3: Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer stand and beat until blended. Add the egg mixture, one teaspoon at a time, waiting for the egg to be completely mixed in before adding in the next spoonful.

STEP 4: Separate half of the batter into a medium bowl. Add the cocoa mixture and gently blend until mixed.
 

STEP 5: Drop alternating spoonfuls of dark and light batters into the prepared pan.

Then marbleize by using a spoon to turn the batter over in three place down the length of the pan.

STEP 6: Bake the banana bread for 55 to 65 minutes, until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Transfer to a rack to cool completely. When cool, remove from pan, peel off the parchment paper, and cut slices by sawing gently with a serrated knife.

Enjoy!

Mehwish