Marble Chocolate Banana Bread

Swirls of dark chocolate in the most incredible, undeniably moist, banana bread. There's also a hint of cinnamon; the spice is almost undetectable, but there's enough to bring out the chocolate flavor and add coziness to every slice.

And I mean it when I say "cozy". This bread is the definition of comfort. Banana bread is wonderful on its own, but when you marble it with melted dark chocolate, the game is forever changed. And it's a deep chocolate flavor too - accomplished by combining melted semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder. The cocoa adds an unrivaled richness to the (already awesome) semisweet chocolate. 

If you've already mastered your own banana bread recipe (or one of mine), I hope you still give this one a whirl. Or, should I say, give this one a "swirl".

Marble Chocolate Banana Bread

Cooking spray
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas, about 2-3 bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Coat an 8- or 9-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Mix well and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the mashed bananas, sour cream and vanilla and beat until blended. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Try not to over-mix.
Melt the chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat, or in the microwave, checking and stirring every 30 seconds. Stir in the cocoa powder and stir until dissolved. Add one cup of the banana batter to the melted chocolate and stir until blended.
Drop spoonfuls of the plain batter and chocolate batter, alternately, into the prepared loaf pan. Swirl the batters together with a knife, up and back about 4 to 5 times (don't over-swirl or the batters will blend and you won't get the marbled effect).
Bake for 55 to 60 minutes, until a wooden pick comes out clean or with little moist bits clinging to it.
Cool the bread, in the pan, on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on the wire rack. Wrap leftovers tightly with plastic wrap and store at room temperature or in the refrigerator.
Makes 1 loaf