INGREDIENTS:
1 1/3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 1/2 ripe bananas, peeled
squirt of fresh lemon juice
grated zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon dark rum
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
10 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup whole milk
DIRECTIONS:
- Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325 degrees.
- Butter a loaf pan, dust it with flour and place it on a baking sheet.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg in a small bowl, mash the bananas with lemon juice and zest, then stir in the rum.
- Melt the chocolate and two tablespoons of butter together.
- In the stand mixer beat the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter until creamy; add the sugars and beat until light and smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add vanilla.
- Add half of the flour mixture and mix only until incorporated.
- Add the milk while the mixer is running and once it’s blended add the other half of the flour mixture.
- Scrape the bowl down and add the bananas.
- Pour a little less than half of the batter into the bowl with the melted chocolate and stir to blend.
- Drop alternating spoonfuls of both batters into the prepared pan and then use a table knife to swirl the batters together (just a little bit).
- Bake for an hour and 20 or 30 minutes, until the cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool for 15 minutes before unmolding, then cool at room temperature right side up on a rack.