I figured we can kick-off our Valentine’s Day countdown with the perfect treat to share in the mornings. Why not start the morning with something delicious and made with love! Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread is here to answer the call! Whether you enjoy it with a regular cup of coffee or cinnamon cappuccino, it’s sure to please.

The best banana bread comes from overripe bananas. In all honesty the bananas I used were completely brown and had been aging in my refrigerator for a week. The sweetness from the overripe bananas adds a beautiful caramel note to the finished product. This recipe also utilizes cake flour, which result in a light, moist crumb.

The marbling isn’t hard to do so don’t get intimidated by it. I took the guess work out of perfect marbling, so stay tuned. I am not the biggest fan of Banana anything, so my esteemed panel of taste testers (my partner and co-workers at Starbucks) loved it both in appearance and taste!

You can also glaze this loaf with caramel or chocolate. I just could not bare to cover such beautiful marbling. Another variation of this loaf is for true chocolate lovers. You fold 1/2 Cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips into the batter before flavoring half with chocolate. It’s important to remember to toss the chips with a little flour before folding them into the batter. The flour gives the batter something to adhere to and keeps them suspended throughout the final loaf.

Happy Valentine’s Day all and furthermore, Happy Baking! I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Marbled Banana Bread

3 Medium, Overripe Bananas

¼ Cup Half and Half

2 TSPS Vanilla Paste

2 Cups Sifted Cake Flour

1 TSP Baking Soda

¾ TSP Baking Powder

¼ Cup Unsweetened Dutch-processed Cocoa Powder

3-5 TBSP Hot/Boiling Water

1 ½ Sticks of Softened Butter

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

2 Large Eggs, lightly beaten

Procedure:

1. In a medium bowl, place the peeled bananas. Using a fork or spatula, mush the bananas until you have a relatively smooth purée. Add the half and half and the vanilla paste, mix until fully combined. Set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, combine the cocoa powder and boiling water. You want this mixture to be smooth and should be the consistency of molasses. Set aside.

3. Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together. Set aside.

4. Preheat the oven to 350F

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle, whip the butter and sugar on medium until light and fluffy.

6. With the mixer running, add the eggs by 2 tbsp at a time. Fully incorporate the eggs and scrap the sides of the bowl each time.

7. Reduce the speed of the mixer down to low. Working in thirds, add the banana mixture and flour mixture alternatively.

8. Once the mixture if fully combined, remove from the mixer and set aside.

9. In a medium sized bowl combine half of the banana bread batter with the cocoa mixture. Mix until consistently chocolate.

10. In a 1 – 1 ½ Lb loaf pan lined with parchment, begin placing the two bread batters. I use a large cookie scoop and a measuring cup of hot water to do this. I started by placing three scoops of the plain batter in the pan alternating sides with each scoop. I then clean off the scoop in the cup of warm water, and then I place three scoops of the chocolate batter into the empty pockets left in the pan. On the next layer I top the plain batter with the chocolate and vice versa.

11. Before baking use a knife to make figure 8s throughout the entire loaf. Don’t overdo it. I. Made about 4 figure 8s and had beautiful marbling in the finished product.

12. Bake at 350F for 55-60 minutes, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean when done.

13. Allow to cool in the pan for about 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool on rack for 15-20 minutes. Slice, serve, and enjoy.

To package this wonderful treat to share, I utilized a take away box in natural finish. I folded a large piece of red and white striped waxed paper to line the box. I then cut a band of Valentine’s Day ribbon and wrapped it around the box. I finished it off with a gold Gilded Tongue seal (purchased online through Williams-Sonoma). It makes the bread feel like a gift for everyone to share. Just a little extra effort shows a lot of care and consideration.