This one is an absolute MUST to add to your baking lists this week! It’s a simple, one bowl, chocolate laden delight, that will make for an ideal afternoon accompaniment to your cup of afternoon tea (which we will hopefully be enjoying In some sunshine by this weekend!)

This is more of a moist, brownie-like textured banana bread, as opposed to the more fluffy, cakey variety. The studded cherries throughout provide little bursts of sweet fruity flavour, as well a gorgeous jewelled red colour throughout.

As per with the majority, if not all, of my bakes recently, I’ve used home made oat flour (simply just blended oats) for this cake and I’m still so impressed with the results. Over my years of gluten free baking experiments, I’ve tried countless different flour varieties and oat flour definitely comes out on top! Oats are naturally gluten free (however if you’re celiac or highly gluten sensitive then you may need to watch out for cross contamination) and I find that the flour has a really mild flavour and never goes too dense or crumbly in my bakes!

Like I said, this cake is gluten free, but also free from dairy and refined sugars. However, it still takes super sweet, super chocolatey and super indulgent! Now, lets talk about that chocolate frosting! I mean, what’s not made better by a thick, creamy layer of rich chocolatey icing to finish off a slice of chocolate cake?! This frosting couldn’t be simpler to make and can be used for pretty much any type of layer cake, cupcakes, cookies or straight off the spoon if you’re having one of those days!

Print Recipe

Chocolate Cherry Banana Bread

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time45 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Baking

Ingredients

• 2 bananas
• 1 1/2 cups oat flour
• 1/4 cup coconut oil
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/3 cup coconut sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp bicarb
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup Picota Cherries

Frosting

• 1 tbsp cashew butter
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 2 tbsp honey
• Almond milk as needed
• 1 cup Picota Cherries

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 180c and line a loaf tin with baking paper.
• In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with the back of a fork, then beat in the coconut

  oil and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
• Crack in the eggs one at a time whilst mixing so that everything is fully incorporated.

  Next, fold through the dry ingredients so that you’re left with a beautifully smooth and

  chocolatey cake batter!
• Pour the mixture into your tin and scatter the cherries throughout, pushing some of them

  into the loaf. Bake this for around 45 minutes, until cooked through and a knife comes out

  clean.
• Allow the cake to cool completely on a wire wrack whilst you whip up the frosting.

  For the decadent chocolate frosting, mix together the cashew butter, cacao powder and

  honey. Then, drizzle in a little almond milk, mix, then repeat this so that you’re left with a

  smooth, spreadable consistency.
• Lather the icing over your banana bread and garnish with a layer of the Picota cherries to

  finish!