Chocolate Frosted Banana Dessert Bars with Chopped Pecans
Delicious, rich banana cake features mashed ripe banana, vanilla bean paste, toasted pecan pieces, and semisweet chocolate chips. Cake topped with chocolate frosting and toasted pecan pieces. Served in small dessert bar portions.
Equipment
- One (13 x 9-inch) baking pan
Ingredients
Banana Cake:
- 256 grams all-purpose flour (2 cups)
- 5 grams baking soda (1 teaspoon)
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 113 grams unsalted butter (1/2 cup), softened
- 200 grams light brown sugar (1 cup)
- 150 grams egg (3 large), room temperature
- 180 grams mashed ripe bananas (1-1/2 cups OR about 3 medium)
- 5 grams vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
- 60 grams pecan pieces (1/2 cup), toasted
- 85 grams semisweet chocolate chips (1/2 cup)
Chocolate Frosting:
- 56 grams unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
- 20 grams unsweetened cocoa powder (1/4 cup), sifted
- 125 grams powdered sugar (1 cup)
- 45 grams heavy cream or whole milk (3 tablespoons)
Garnish:
- 30 grams chopped pecan pieces (1/4 cup), toasted
Instructions
Banana Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter bottom and sides of a 13 x 9-inch baking pan.
- Add all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt to small mixing bowl. Whisk to combine. Set aside.
- Add unsalted butter and light brown sugar to stand mixer. Beat on medium speed for 5 minutes.
- Add eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla bean paste to sugar mixture. Beat on low for about 1 minute to incorporate.
- Remove stand mixer bowl from stand mixer. Add flour mixture to stand mixer bowl. Fold in with large spatula. Avoid over mixing.
- Add semisweet chocolate chips and toasted pecan pieces to cake batter. Fold in with large spatula.
- Transfer cake batter to prepared baking pan.
- Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is set and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove baking pan from oven and cool on wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Frosting:
- Add unsalted butter to stand mixer. Beat on medium for 5 minutes. Scrape down bowl, if necessary.
- Add unsweetened cocoa powder and powdered sugar to small bowl. Whisk to combine. Add sugar mixture to stand mixer. Beat on low for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and beat for 5 minutes.
- Add heavy cream 1 tablespoon at a time to desired consistency.
- Spread frosting over cooled banana cake.
Garnish:
- Sprinkle chopped pecans over chocolate frosting.
- Cut into small squares to serve.