Chocolate Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Icing aka ‘Punkkari Cake’

This is part of my lockdown recipes. I have been making this Chocolate banana bread since March when the first lockdown started and I love it. I love it how you can call a cake made in a loaf tin a bread. Makes me feel so much better when stuffing my face with this calorie bomb.

But life’s too short to count calories anyways. We all need some love and a little bit of sugar once in a while, especially in these unprecedented times. And if calling a cake a bread makes it more acceptable, then let’s roll with it.

This chocolate banana bread has a strong banana flavour mixed with gentle chocolate. The real hero though is the frosting. It really elevates this cake and makes it irresistible. The cake can be enjoyed straight away but I would say it is even more delicious having rested overnight.

My strategy during these lockdowns has been to bake massive cakes over the weekends and then put them in the freezer in 2 person portions. Then during the week you can just de-frost some cake for two whenever you feel like it (and yep, I’ve been feeling like it most of the days).

I can’t wait to have the little guy taste some of this as well but I hear 10 months is too young for a sugar high..

Also, can I just point out the impressive decoration of this cake. I just piped some of the peanut butter icing on top of the cake which is completely optional but did earn this cake another name. Keijo calls this cake ‘punkkari’ which is Finnish for punk rocker. I quite like that.

I hope you enjoy this punkkari cake and do let me know if you make it.

Chocolate Banana Bread with Peanut Butter Icing

 

Prep time

45 mins

Cook time

50 mins

Total time

1 hour 35 mins

 

Author: Antidote Kitchen

Serves: 10-15

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE
• 220g butter (softened)
• 220g sugar
• 4 eggs
• 250g flour
• 2tl baking powder
• 3 bananas
• 2tbsp dark cocoa powder
• 1tbsp milk (I used oat milk)
• ca. 2tbsp breadcrumbs
• FOR THE ICING
• 30g butter
• 150g icing sugar
• 4tbsp peanut butter (I like to use crunchy PB for some texture)
• 1tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tbsp milk
• OPTIONAL TOPPINGS
• Chocolate
• Dried strawberries
• Nuts

Instructions

1. Heat up oven to 170 and butter a loaf tin and sprinkle with breadcrumbs
2. Cream the softened butter and sugar until light. Then beat the eggs in one at a time.
3. In another bowl mix the baking powder in with the flour.
4. Process the bananas in a food processor until smooth.
5. Mix the flour and the banana in the batter.
6. Take ⅓ of the batter into a separate bowl and mix with the cocoa powder and 1 tbsp milk.
7. Pour half of the white mixture into the loaf tin followed by the cocoa mixture and then top with the other half of the white mixture.
8. Bake for about 50minutes checking the cake regularly with a skewer (it should be able to be inserted and removed cleanly), as the time may vary depending on the shape of your loaf tin.
9. To prepare the icing beat all the ingredients together until you get a soft cream. If it becomes too thick add a little more milk.
10. Once the cake has cooled completely, spread the icing on top and go crazy with any additional toppings

3.5.3226