

Servings
1 loaf
Level
Medium
Ingredients
- 5 very ripe bananas
- 3 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
- ½ cup (1 stick) Challenge European Style butter, softened
- ½ cup sugar
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1¾ cup all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chopped toasted walnuts
Directions
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1Peel bananas and place in a sealable plastic bag. Squeeze and flatten the bag to mash the bananas.
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2Freeze sealed bag of bananas until solid.
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3Thaw the bananas and pour into a fine mesh strainer placed over a small saucepan.
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4Strain the banana pulp for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and collecting the liquid in the pan. (approx. 1½ cups pulp and ¾ cup liquid.)
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5Set pulp aside and cook the liquid over medium heat until liquid is reduced by half.
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6Blend banana liquid with cocoa powder and set aside.
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7Preheat oven to 350°F.
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8Generously butter a 8½ x 4-inch loaf pan (or line the pan with parchment).
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9Cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, salt and baking soda.
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10Blend dry mix and banana pulp into butter mixture. Stir in nuts.
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11Remove about a cup of batter and combine with cocoa mixture.
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12Spoon the cocoa batter alternately with the plain batter into the prepared loaf pan. Swirl batters together using a knife.
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13Bake for one hour or until center tests done. Cool on a rack for 15 minutes then remove from pan. Allow to completely cool before slicing.
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!Freeze/thaw cycle releases liquid; alternatively the bananas could be heated in a microwave for 4 to 5 minutes to release the liquid before straining.