Double Chocolate Banana Bread
The recipe for this Double Chocolate Banana Bread is by the great maitre chocolatier Frédéric Bau, a guarantee of success! Fail-proof and unmissable recipe!
The banana bread (banana bread) is truly a delicious dessert, very soft and moist and remains that way for several days.
For this recipe, I must make an important premise: if you do not love raisins in desserts, after this recipe you will love them!! The method used by Bau makes them very soft and rum-scented. This cake is delicious even without raisins, but I assure you it would be a real shame not to use them because they give the Banana Bread a truly unique flavor. Recipe not to be missed!
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 1 Day
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: French
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients for the Double Chocolate Banana Bread
- 2.1 oz Golden raisins
- 1.8 oz White rum
- 1 oz Water
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 2.8 oz Dark chocolate (60% cocoa)
- 3.5 oz Butter
- 1.4 oz Granulated sugar
- 0.7 oz Muscovado sugar
- 1 Egg yolk
- 3 Whole eggs
- 7.1 oz Very ripe bananas
- 5.3 oz Milk chocolate (40% cocoa)
- 1.4 oz Hazelnut flour
- 1.4 oz Chocolate chips (or cocoa nibs*)
- 1.8 oz Flour
- to taste Dark rum
- to taste Nutmeg (optional)
Tools
- Bowl
- Spoon
- Small pot
- Immersion blender
- Stand mixer
- Parchment paper
- Loaf pan
Preparation of the Double Chocolate Banana Bread
Wash the golden raisins well and soak them in boiling water for at least 10 minutes. Then drain the raisins and place them in a small pot over low heat with the sugar, white rum, and 1 oz of water (about 1/4 of the total) until all the liquid is reduced (about 15 minutes).
Mash the bananas, please make sure they are very ripe, preferably with almost black skin.
Break the dark chocolate into pieces and place it in a suitable pot for a bain-marie (or in the microwave at 500 W power) and melt it slowly over low heat (the water in the bain-marie should NOT boil).
As soon as the chocolate melts, remove the pot from the heat, add the butter, and stir to mix the ingredients well.
Pour the chocolate mixture into the stand mixer, add the two types of sugar (granulated and muscovado), and mix with the paddle attachment (you can also use electric beaters) until the mixture is smooth. Then gradually add the egg yolk and whole eggs, the banana puree, the ground hazelnuts, the cocoa nibs (I used dark chocolate chips), the flour, and the baking powder (sifted!!).
Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes (please do not skip this step!)In the meantime, break the milk chocolate into pieces. Take the cake batter from the refrigerator and incorporate the drained rum-soaked raisins and the milk chocolate shavings.
Pour the batter into a loaf pan (mine was 12×30 cm) lined with well-wrung-out wet parchment paper (or buttered and floured).
Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 356°F (180°C) for about 45 minutes.After removing it from the oven, generously brush the cake with dark rum, then grate nutmeg on top (optional).
Wrap the cake while still warm in cling film, making sure it adheres well to the surface. This way, all the rum aroma will permeate the cake, preventing the aromas and alcohol from evaporating.
Let the Double Chocolate Banana Bread cool overnight in the refrigerator.
Notes and Tips
If you love chocolate desserts, visit the section of my Blog dedicated to “Desserts with Nutella and/or Chocolate“, also try the recipe for “Chocolate Charlotte (with clever mold)” with Bau’s ganache.
It is important to put the cake batter in the refrigerator to firm it up, a trick to prevent the raisins, milk chocolate shavings, and dark chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom.
*Cocoa nibs are basically a high-quality cocoa nib obtained from crushed, roasted, and shelled cocoa beans. You can find them in supermarkets or online. (see HERE).
Muscovado sugar is available in supermarkets, pharmacies, and organic stores. It is different from cane sugar because it is unrefined and contains molasses. Its appearance is very powdery, with numerous granules. For this recipe, it is important to use muscovado.
If you want to learn more about the differences between various types of sugar, read HERE. The recipe is taken from “Chocolate Encyclopedia” by Frédéric Bau.
Shopping Tips!!!
To puree the bananas, I used the convenient immersion blender of my Braun MultiQuick 7 Hand Blender, which you can purchase at a special price by clicking HERE
Read my review for GialloZafferano on the Hand Blender “Braun MQ9045 MultiQuick 9”
To cook in a bain-marie – particularly to melt butter and chocolate – I use this practical and convenient double boiler pot, available on Amazon at a special price. #adv
To knead perfectly and bind leavened dough, I use my Titanium Chef Patissier XL stand mixer with 7L EasyWarm bowl, integrated scale, and blender, a faithful kitchen ally for: kneading, weighing, whipping, cooking, chopping, and pasteurizing eggs.
You can find this stand mixer on Amazon at a special price, click HERE!
If, however, you are looking for a more economical and smaller model with a 4-liter bowl, you can safely choose to purchase the Kenwood KVC7300S Chef Titanium Stand Mixer, with built-in lighting and includes a silicone-coated whisk and a pastry spatula. #adv
To weigh the ingredients, I use this practical Digital Kitchen Scale, with a large removable bowl, tare function, and built-in timer, available on Amazon at an excellent price. #adv
