Banana Nut Cake With Chocolate Icing

Written by
Miri Rotkovitz
Registered dietician, teacher, and award-winning cookbook author who has been exploring Jewish cuisine for almost 20 years.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Miri Rotkovitz
Updated 09/05/19
Banana Cake matka_Wariatka/Getty Images
Prep: 25 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Total: 60 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings
Nutritional Guidelines (per serving)
295 Calories
20g Fat
23g Carbs
8g Protein
See Full Nutritional Guidelines Hide Full Nutritional Guidelines
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 295
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g 26%
Saturated Fat 4g 20%
Cholesterol 91mg 30%
Sodium 105mg 5%
Total Carbohydrate 23g 8%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Protein 8g
Calcium 50mg 4%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

This banana nut cake with chocolate icing is one of those rare kosher for Passover desserts that you'll want to serve year round. (It's also a great way to use up leftover matzo cake meal after Pesach.) The dark chocolate icing can be made either pareve or dairy. It's a nice touch for fancier meals, but you can omit the frosting altogether -- the cake is so moist and delicious, you can serve it unadorned for casual snacking.

Ingredients

  • For the Cake:
  • 4 ounces/3/4 cup walnuts (ground)
  • 4 ounces/3/4 cup hazelnuts (ground)
  • 1/2 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup matzo cake meal
  • 4 large eggs (separated, at room temperature)
  • 1 banana (peeled and mashed)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • For the Icing:
  • 3 ounces bittersweet chocolate (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons butter (coconut oil or margarine)
  • 1 tablespoon orange juice

Steps to Make It

Note: While there are multiple steps to this recipe, this banana nut dessert is broken down into workable categories to help you better plan for preparation and baking.

Make the Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8- by 8-inch cake pan or glass baking dish with butter (if making the cake dairy) or oil (if making the cake pareve). Set aside.

  2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the ground nuts, matzo cake meal and salt.

  3. In a large bowl, using electric beaters or a balloon whisk, beat the egg yolks with 1/2 cup of the sugar until the yolks are thick and lemon-colored. Stir in the mashed banana and vanilla extract.

  4. In another large bowl, beat the egg whites and salt using clean, dry beaters or a whisk until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and continue beating just until the egg whites hold stiff peaks.

  5. In 3 additions, alternately fold the nuts, then the egg whites into the yolk mixture, ending with the whites. 

  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and gently smooth the top with a spatula.

  7. Bake the cake in the preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

  8. Place the cake on a rack, and allow to cool in the pan.

Make the Icing and Assemble

  1. While the cake is cooling, make the icing: Place the chocolate, butter (or coconut oil or margarine), and orange juice in a small heavy saucepan set over low heat. Whisk constantly until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.

  2. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before spreading over the cake. Enjoy!

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