Chocolate Banana Snack Cake

Some News…

I let the cat out of the bag a few weeks ago on Instagram… We’re expecting! For those of you wondering, it’s a baby. Though, I’m pretty sure the kiddo thinks she’s getting a puppy. She might be a bit disappointed in July.

We’re excited. We are. But, I’ll be honest with you… I’ve spent the better part of the past 3 months on the couch under a blanket.

I was sick the first time around… For most of the first half of my pregnancy. But, this time around has felt different. Sure, I’ve had the constant nausea and I’ve been exhausted. That’s to be expected, I think. Perhaps it’s the fact that I chase a toddler around all day long, but this time it’s hit me much harder than I remember from before.

Honestly, I just haven’t felt like myself. I’ve struggled to get through the day most days, wishing that I could just curl up under a blanket and sleep the week away. Most of what I’ve eaten has made me sick, especially vegetables. Go figure. My desire to cook and bake has vanished almost entirely.

I know that it’s all part of the process, and I’m not looking for sympathy… Just putting it out there. Some people have a wonderful, joyful pregnancy where they feel great and are “glowing” all the time. But, that has not been my experience.

Will it all be worth it in the end? Absolutely. But, in the meantime, I’m just taking it day to day.

And then, the oven died…

So, as you might imagine, I didn’t cope all that well when my oven decided to stop working a few weeks ago. My mind was already swimming with all of the things I haven’t been getting done – figuring out how in the world we are going to squeeze another little person (and all of the stuff… oh, the baby stuff) in to our house, cleaning, baking, blogging, etc. I didn’t really want to deal with replacing the oven on top of it all.

But, things happen. Finally, two weeks later, after a bit of drama and a few minor breakdowns on my part, we have a new working oven.

Perhaps it’s a sign that things will start looking up again soon, but I’ve also had a few brief hours of feeling human again in the last few days. So, I decided to do some baking with the kiddo to celebrate.

For our first baking adventure with the new oven, we tackled something simple… I was tempted to use my temporary burst of energy and tackle a soufflé or something, but I decided against it. I wanted something that the little miss and I could do together.

So, here you have it… A chocolate banana snack cake based on my mom’s banana bread recipe. It’s quite simple to make and it’s delicious. We added both cocoa and some chocolate chips for a double hit of chocolate. The kiddo is a little chocolate monster.

It’s made with coconut oil and half whole wheat flour, but I wouldn’t really say it’s a “healthy” recipe… It’s sweet, and it’s a treat.

And, if I’m being honest. Sometimes, I just need a bit of a treat.

Chocolate Banana Snack Cake
Serves 10 – 12

Don’t be fooled by the whole wheat flour in this recipe… This cake is moist and fluffy. It’s sweet enough to serve it for dessert, but you can also just enjoy it as a snack with a cup of tea or coffee.

• 1 cup coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 ripe bananas, mashed (approx. 1 ⅓ cups)
• ⅓ cup warm water
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1  teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325F. Lightly grease an 8-inch baking dish and set it aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the coconut oil, sugar, and eggs. Beat until the mixture is smooth. Stir in the mashed bananas and warm water.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until the dry ingredients are just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 45 – 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool (mostly) before slicing.