Banana Cake With Chocolate Walnut Glaze

This old fashioned Banana Cake with Chocolate Walnut Glaze is a delicious way to make use of overripe bananas. This easy cake recipe is wonderfully moist and tender with a light layer of sweet chocolate glaze.

You know those recipes that you turn to over and over again through your life? I’m talking about those tried and true, dependable recipes that you go back to time and time again. This easy Banana Cake recipe belongs on that list.

Using ingredients you might otherwise toss to create something delicious has always had big appeal to me. Grab those overripe bananas that might be headed for the trash bin and turn them into a yummy dessert.

Ingredient Notes

For the Banana Cake

• Butter – For a smooth batter, be sure to use softened, room temperature butter. Let it rest on your kitchen counter for one to two hours before beginning.
• Sugar – A combination of granulated white sugar and light brown sugar for the perfect balance of sweet flavor.
• Eggs
• Pure vanilla extract
• All-purpose flour
• Baking soda and salt
• Buttermilk – If you don’t want to buy buttermilk you can make your own. Add 1 tablespoon of either lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and then enough regular milk to measure 1 cup. Stir the mixture and let it rest for a few minutes before adding it to the recipe.
• Fresh lemon juice
• Bananas – It’s best to use overripe bananas for baked goods. Once the peels are beginning to turn black and the bananas are softening, they are just perfect for cakes and breads.

For the Chocolate Walnut Glaze

• Butter – No need to soften it since the glaze is prepared on the stove.
• Unsweetened cocoa powder
• Buttermilk
• Pure vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar – Aka confectioners’ sugar.
• Walnuts – Be sure to store walnuts in the refrigerator to keep them at fresh for up 2 to 3 months. For longer storage they can be frozen.

How to Make Banana Cake

1. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. In a separate large bowl, beat the butter, white sugar and brown sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3. Mix in a little of the flour mixture.
4. Mix in a little of the buttermilk. Continue adding the flour, alternating with buttermilk, until all of both have been added.

5. In a small bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and add the lemon juice. Add the mixture to the batter.
6. Stir the batter with a wooden spoon.
7. Pour the batter into 13- x 9-inch baking dish that you’ve coated with nonstick cooking spray.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for at least an hour before finishing with the glaze.

How to Make Chocolate Walnut Glaze

1. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder, buttermilk and vanilla.
2. Reduce the heat to low and whisk in the powdered sugar.
3. Whisk the mixture vigorously until smooth.
4. Stir in half of the chopped nuts and reserve the rest to garnish the top of the cake.

5. Pour the glaze over the cooled or mostly cooled cake. It’s okay if the cake is still slightly warm but it shouldn’t be glazed straight out of the oven.
6. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to spread it out evenly over the surface. Sprinkle the remaining nuts over the top. Allow the glaze to set for a few minutes before slicing and serving the cake.

Storage

Leftover Banana Cake can be stored on your kitchen counter covered with plastic wrap or foil. It’s best consumed within 3 to 4 days for the best quality.

More Ways to Use Overripe Bananas

• Apple Banana Bread
• Oatmeal Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips
• Strawberry Banana Bread
• Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Banana Bread