Moist banana and hazelnut cake with cherries or chocolate traybake with sour cream topping.
A decadent, soft, and delicious banana and hazelnut cake with cherries and chocolate. And to make it even better and richer, add some heavy and sour cream on top. It might sound like a lot of ingredients, but don't worry about it; despite the long list, the cake is very quick and easy to make.
We love chocolate and nut combinations! Either a simple and healthy chocolate peanut butter spread, a quick chocolate breadcrumb cake, or a rich hazelnut chocolate traybake. And this banana cherry chocolate cake with hazelnuts is just as delicious as all the others.
Ingredients: 16 | Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Servings: 20 | Difficulty: Easy
Recipe ingredients
- Chocolate: Dark or semi-sweet chocolate; I use chocolate with 50-60 % cocoa most of the time, but a little more or less is fine.
- Cocoa powder: Unsweetened, pure cocoa powder, nothing containing sugar.
- Cherries: You will need cherries from a jar.
- The jars in Germany are rather large and contain about 300 g/ 10.5 oz/ 1 â…“ cups of cherries when drained. If you have a little more or less, that is fine.
- The same amount of fresh, pitted cherries can be used instead. If you have more fresh cherries, check out these Cherry Recipes.
- Bananas: About 3 large bananas, ripe but not overripe. Banana chips are only for decorating purposes. Leave them out if you don't have them or don't like them.
- Dairy: For the topping, you will need heavy cream and either crème fraiche or sour cream. If you live in Germany, you can use Schmand. If you live anywhere in Eastern Europe, you can use schmant/smantana/smetana.
- Otherwise, you will need ground hazelnuts, butter, sugar, flour, eggs, milk, baking powder, and vanilla extract.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make banana, hazelnut & cherry cake?
Make the cake:
- Melt the chopped chocolate in a double boiler/ bain-marie. Let it cool slightly until you prepare the rest.
- Wet ingredients: Cream the soft butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, one after another, mixing well in between. Pour in the milk and the melted chocolate and stir in as well.
- Dry ingredients: In another bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift the mixture over the wet ingredients, add the ground hazelnuts as well, and fold in carefully. Pour the mixture onto the lined baking sheet.
- Spread the drained cherries and the sliced bananas all over the cake.
- Bake for 40 minutes. Leave to cool completely.
Make the topping:
- Beat the double cream with the cornstarch and the confectioners' sugar. Add vanilla extract.
- If using a cream stabilizer, beat the cream briefly, slowly add the stabilizer and vanilla extract, and beat the cream until stiff.
- Stir the sour cream or crème fraiche briefly with a spoon and fold it into the whipped cream. Don't use the mixer to mix the two ingredients, or the mixture gets too soft and runny.
- Add 1 or 2 tablespoons vanilla sugar or granulated sugar if you feel it is necessary.
- Top the completely cooled banana and hazelnut cake with the cream topping. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
- Cut into squares and decorate with banana chips just before serving. The banana chips are optional.
Tips
- Always use a kitchen scale when baking; it guarantees the best results.
- I recommend using a deeper baking tray or to use a square baking frame. The mixture will not run off the baking tray if you don't use that, but it will look better even if you do.
- Don't overmix the topping ingredients, or the mixture will be too runny.
More chocolate cakes
Banana and Hazelnut Cake with Cherries
Moist banana and hazelnut cake with cherries or chocolate traybake with sour cream topping.
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Servings: 20 pieces
Calories: 483kcal
Ingredients
- 7 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate about 50-60 % cocoa
- 1 cup unsalted butter very soft
- 1¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 eggs
- â…” cup milk
- 1½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- pinch of salt
- 1â…” cup ground hazelnuts
- 1 jar of cherries about 300 g/ 10.5 oz of pitted cherries when drained
- 3 large bananas ripe but not overripe
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch (Note 2)
- 4 teaspoons confectioners' sugar (Note 2)
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1⅔ cups crème fraiche or sour cream (Note 3)
- some banana chips to decorate the cake optional
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F/ 180°C. Line a baking sheet with baking paper. I recommend using a deeper baking tray or using a square baking frame. The mixture will not run off the baking tray if you don't use a baking frame or a deeper tray, but it will look better and more even if you do so.
- Melt chocolate: Chop the chocolate and melt it in a double boiler/ bain-marie. Let it cool slightly until you prepare the rest.7 oz dark or semi-sweet chocolate
- Wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, cream the soft butter and the sugar. Add the eggs, one by one, mixing well in between. Pour in the milk and the melted chocolate and stir in as well.1 cup unsalted butter + 1¼ cup granulated sugar; add 4 eggs; add ⅔ cup milk + melted chocolate
- Batter: In another bowl, mix the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Sift the mixture over the wet ingredients.1½ cup all-purpose flour + 2 ½ tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder + 2 teaspoons baking powder + pinch of salt
- Add the ground hazelnuts, and fold in carefully. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.1â…” cup ground hazelnuts
- Fruit: Drain the cherries and slice the bananas into 0.8-inch/ 2 cm slices. Spread the cherries and the bananas all over the cake batter on the tray.1 jar of cherries + 3 large bananas
- Bake for 40 minutes. Leave to cool completely.
Topping:
- Mix cornstarch and the confectioners' sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.4 teaspoons cornstarch + 4 teaspoons confectioners' sugar
- Beat the heavy cream shortly. Slowly start adding the cornstarch-sugar mixture (or the cream stabilizer, if using) and the vanilla extract. Continue whipping the cream until stiff.1¾ cups heavy cream + cornstarch mixture + 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Stir the sour cream or crème Fraiche briefly with a spoon and fold it into the whipped cream. Don't use the mixer to mix the two ingredients, or the mixture will get too soft and runny. Add 1 or 2 tablespoons of vanilla sugar or granulated sugar if you feel it is necessary.1⅔ cups crème fraiche or sour cream
- Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut into squares and decorate with banana chips just before serving. some banana chips to decorate the cake
Notes
- Always use a digital kitchen scale in baking; it ensures the best results (Amazon affiliate link).
- If available, use 2 packets of cream stabilizer for whipping cream instead of the cornstarch and icing sugar mixture.
- You can use Schmand (in Germany) or smetana, if available.
Nutrition
Serving: 1square | Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 15g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 114mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 24g
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grace says
cherries, bananas, chocolate, AND hazelnuts!? talk about a jackpot! gorgeous cake. 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Happy New Year, this looks like a wonderful way to celebrate the dawning of the new year!
Anca says
It looks fantastic. Hazelnuts, chocolate and banana, that would be a hit in our house. Happy New Year!! x
Brie says
I second Anu, the cake looks so incredibly moist and I love the contrast of a tangy creme or sour cream topping. Happy New Year to you and your family Adina!
Anu - My Ginger Garlic Kitchen says
Happy New Year to you and your family, Adina. This hazelnut banana cake looks so nice, moist and delicious. I have never added banana and cherries combo in a cake. I bet it tastes divine.