I don’t remember what happened last week. Days, weeks, months all seem to mold together into one blur. Can you even imagine we’ve been in lockdown for close to half a year now? The clock has never stopped ticking as our lives seem to have stopped momentarily trapped within the walls of our homes.

The first signs of fall are appearing.  Lying down on the grass, I see the streaks of pink, yellow, orange come into sight earlier and earlier. By the time I get home from my walk, it’s often pitch black. It just goes to show that a new season is coming and its time to prepare for the colorful days of fall, welcoming a new start. Yes, it has been new start for both Zoe and I. I’ve finally started working and Zoe’s at home in Hong Kong preparing for the next step in her career. Facing changes has never been easy. But change has always been accompanied by important lessons – difficult, stirring lessons that mold us into better people.

Speaking of change, I honestly thought that I would be sharing a peanut butter swirled black bean brownie today. From a rather disastrous attempt to make a comforting fudgy Pb brownie, we sort of shifted to a rather elegant fluffy chocolate banana marble cake. Its like one of those coffee cakes or victoria sponge cakes you would get at a fancier hotel or restaurant often served with coffee or tea after a meal. The colors is what makes this particular concoction so beautiful. If you strip it down to its core, it really just is a delicious banana cake with gorgeous dark curls of chocolate gracefully adorning what would be a rather ordinary banana cake. We’ve made all sorts of banana bread but this one is rather special: A decadent dessert studded with chunks of chocolate chips AND bitter dark COCOA.

Chocolate has always been my weakness. Banana bread has too. And this combination makes for a heavenly treat that can be served at all occasions – parties, afternoon tea, snacks or even a family sunday dinner. Zoe and her husband has probably enjoyed this cake all by themselves without having to share. But then again, who could blame them?

Chocolate Banana Marble Cake

 

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Author: Unconventional Cooks

Serves: 9

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups oats (gluten-free, if needed)
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ¾ tsp baking soda
• 2 medium bananas, mashed (236g)
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1.5 tbsp cocoa powder
• ⅓ cup chocolate chips
• ½ cup raspberries (optional, but recommended)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325F.
2. Line a 7 or 9 inch cake pan with parchment paper. (We have tried both)
3. Blitz the oats in a blender until it becomes flour.
4. Add in the baking powder and baking soda. Blitz, and set aside in another bowl.
5. In the same blender, add in the bananas, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla and apple cider vinegar.
6. Pour the wet ingredients out of the blender into the dry ingredients. Fold gently BY HAND until all is incorporated.
7. Divide the batter into two bowls. In one bowl, mix cocoa powder. Then add 2 tbsp of chocolate chips in each of the bowls.
8. Using one spoon for each batter to avoid contamination, alternate spoonfuls of chocolate and vanilla batter into the cake pan. [i]I like to dollop alternate spoonfuls of batter on top of each other.
9. If you are adding raspberries: after about ⅓ of the batter is in, gently place approximately half of the raspberries around. After you pour another ⅓, place the rest of the raspberries, reserving a few for the top.
10. Using a toothpick, swirl the batter.
11. Gently press remaining chocolate chips and few raspberries on top.
12. For 9 inch cake pan: bake for 25-30 mins or until brown.
13. For 7 inch cake pan: you need to bake for a little longer around 30-40 mins.
14. Let it cool before serving.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 9 Calories: 164 Fat: 5.8g Carbohydrates: 27.7g Protein: 4.3g

3.5.3251

LOVE,

Zoe & Mia