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Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread with Espresso Mascarpone
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
50 mins
Total Time
1 hr 20 mins
 
Banana bread adapted from Nigel Slater
Author: Claudia Brick
Ingredients
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
  • 250 grams plain flour (2 cups)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 125 grams softened butter
  • 235 grams dark or regular brown sugar (1 cup + 2 tablespoons, tightly packed) (I used regular brown sugar and it turned out beautifully, but would use dark or muscovado if you have it!)
  • 3 to 4 ripe bananas (400g), roughly mashed (there should still be lumps left)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 100 grams dark chocolate , roughly chopped
Espresso mascarpone
  • 250 g Italian mascarpone cheese
  • 4-5 tablespoons espresso coffee (cooled, or placed in the freezer for 5 minutes beforehand just so it isn’t super hot)
  • 3-5 tablespoons sifted icing sugar (adjust to taste)
Fresh raspberries (or frozen and thawed), fresh strawberries
Instructions
Chocolate Chunk Banana Bread
  1. Heat the oven to 180°C. Line a standard-sized (23 x 13cm) loaf tin with baking paper.
  2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat the eggs into the butter and sugar one at a time until fully incorporated.
  3. Fold the vanilla extract, mashed bananas and roughly chopped chocolate into the butter and sugar mixture.
  4. Sift the flour and baking powder over the top and gently fold it in until just combined.
  5. Scrape the batter into the lined loaf tin and bake for 40-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out just clean ( a bit of chocolate is fine). If it starts to get too dark before it is cooked, cover it with a piece of tin foil.
  6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 15 minutes. Then, using the baking paper as a sling, remove the banana loaf from the tin.
Espresso Mascarpone
  1. Gently mix together the mascarpone, espresso and icing sugar. Adjust to taste (just don’t add too much espresso or it will get too liquidy).
  2. Cover and put in fridge until ready to serve
To serve
  1. Slice the banana bread with a serrated knife and serve with dollops of the espresso mascarpone and a few berries.
  2. If serving the next day, toast or microwave the banana bread briefly if warm, gooey chocolate is your thing. Otherwise, eat it straight from the container - that is fine too!