Easy Double Chocolate Banana Snack Cake

Got a couple of overripe bananas turning brown on the counter? This is their moment. Mashed banana and cocoa go into a simple batter studded with chocolate chips, and the whole thing bakes into a dense, fudgy snack cake you can eat with your hands.

No mixer required. Just a fork, a bowl, and a 9-inch square pan. The banana keeps the crumb incredibly moist, and the lemon juice balances all that chocolate sweetness with a little brightness you can’t quite place but definitely notice.

A dusting of icing sugar on top is all the decoration this needs.

Pro Tips

• Use very ripe bananas. The browner and spottier, the better. They’re sweeter, softer, and blend into the batter without any lumps.
• Don’t overbake. Start checking at 45 minutes. A toothpick should come out with a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Dry crumbs mean dry cake.
• Cool completely before dusting. If you sprinkle icing sugar on a warm cake, it melts and disappears into the surface.

Variations

• Peanut butter banana: Swirl 3 tablespoons of peanut butter into the batter before baking for a chocolate-PB combo.
• Walnut crunch: Fold in half a cup of chopped walnuts along with the chocolate chips for a nutty bite in every piece.