Double chocolate banana loaf

• Preparation Time 10 Minutes
• Cooking Time 55 Minutes
• Serves 10

Vegan, vegetarian, nut-free, egg-free

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I have so many banana cakes in the last 40 years and each one has been polished off with great delight. A great cake for lunch boxes or as a snack. Not overly sweet but just right.

A banana cake has to be moist, which is why you want the bananas to be overripe, at the point where you would not fancy eating them. No bananas get thrown in this house and I never need an excuse not to make a banana cake.

This one is a little different as it is a double chocolate one, that is both vegan and gluten-free but also delicious. The chocolate adds a kind of fudginess to the cake, every bite you get that wonderful banana flavour and a hit of chocolate.

It is one of those cakes never destined to be in the cake tin for long

• Fudgy
• Moist
• Delicious
• Chocolatey
• Moreish
• Soft
• Gooey when warm

If you want to make it more decadent you could add a chocolate glaze or even better a Nutella icing. You could also serve it warm as a dessert with some lovely custard.

Ingredients

• 115 g of dairy-free butter
• 115 g of coconut or light brown sugar
• 2 flax eggs { 2tbsp of hot water and 6 tbsp of ground flax egg}
• 4 medium very ripe bananas
• 220 g of gluten-free plain flour
• 30 g of cocoa powder
• 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of xanthan gum
• 175 g of vegan chocolate chips or chunks

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180C or fan 160C and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.
2. Mix your flax eggs and put to one side
3. Using an electric whisk or a wooden spoon cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy.
4. Add your mashed bananas and flax eggs and mix until well combined.
5. Sieve in the flour, bicarb, cocoa powder and xanthan gum to the mix and fold in with a spatula, making sure all the flour has been folded in,
6. Add in 3/4 of the chocolate chips or chunks, saving the rest to sprinkle over the top.
7. Spoon into the prepared tin, add the chocolate and place in the middle of the oven.
8. Bake for 55 minutes and test with a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean then it is done. Allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes and place onto a cooling rack.

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 If you like this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist.  I love seeing your versions of my recipes. and reading your comments.