This chocolate marble banana Bundt cake is based off of this banana cake recipe. It’s a reader favorite and loved recipe because the cake is always moist, buttery, and full of banana flavor. Here we’re baking it in a Bundt pan and swirling it with real chocolate ganache so each bite has a delicious fudge-like ripple. We’ll have extra chocolate ganache for the topping, too!
Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake Details
- Flavor: This chocolate marble banana Bundt cake starts with 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) of mashed banana, so you know there’s great flavor right from the get-go. It’s also buttery with notes of cinnamon, brown sugar, and vanilla too. And I’ll teach you how to swirl the ganache in such a way that literally every bite has dark chocolate as well! If you love these flavors together here, you’ll love them in these banana chocolate chip streusel muffins, too.
- Texture: Because they’re so thick and essentially weigh themselves down, Bundt cakes are always denser than layer or sheet cakes. This is certainly a heavier cake, but it isn’t quite as dense as pound cake. It’s wonderfully moist and soft like banana bread, especially if you avoid over-baking.
- Ease: The prep consists of two main components: making the cake batter and making the ganache. Both are very simple, but the success of the recipe depends on timing. The ganache used for the swirl must cool for about 30 minutes prior to using otherwise it’s too thin. I recommend making the ganache first because by the time you’re finished the cake batter and the oven’s preheated, the ganache will be ready. You’ll use half of the ganache inside the cake, then save the rest for the topping.
What you’ll love most about this chocolate marble banana Bundt cake is that unlike marble loaf cake, it’s swirled with real chocolate ganache and not chocolate flavored cake batter. I wanted the chocolate portion to be more like the chocolate swirl in fudge ripple ice cream and less like chocolate cake or chocolate banana bread. Make sense? The best part is if you warm your slice back up in the microwave, the chocolate inside gets all melty like hot fudge sauce.
One reader, Nancy, commented: “Yum! First time trying, I can see why it has all 5-star reviews. Next time I’ll add nuts for a little bite. โ โ โ โ โ ”
Another reader, Casey, commented: “Absolutely loved this recipe. Cake is lovely and moist and the ganache takes it to another level. Can’t wait to make again. โ โ โ โ โ ”
Swirled with Chocolate Ganache
Do you remember how to make chocolate ganache? I have an entire chocolate ganache tutorial page if you’re not sure. You need just 2 ingredients: real chocolate and heavy cream. I recommend Bakers or Ghirardelli brand baking semi-sweet chocolate bars, which is sold in the baking aisle near the chocolate chips.
***It took several test variations to learn that the consistency of the ganache (and how you swirl it) will make or break today’s cake recipe. If the ganache is too thin and warm, it will turn this into a thin chocolate banana cake batter. If it’s too thick, it will prevent the portions of cake batter surrounding it from baking so you’ll have this unpleasant and strange combination of baked and unbaked cake batter.***
How to avoid this: Let the ganache cool at room temperature for about 30 minutes until it’s about the consistency of gravy.
Perfecting the Banana Bundt Cake Batter
As the ganache cools and thickens, prep the cake batter. Banana cake was my starting point, but I add a little extra baking powder for some lift and slightly reduce the buttermilk. The original cake was strangely wet with the chocolate ganache, but after I reduced down the buttermilk, it cooked perfectly and had a lovely texture. If you’re looking for a plain banana Bundt cake, you can follow the recipe below and simply leave out the chocolate ganache swirl.
Layer in the cake batter and ganache, then generously swirl together.
Make Enough Ganache for the Topping
Everything is complete with a little accessorizing, so let’s finish this Bundt off with even more ganache. The recipe below instructs you to make all of the ganache at once, then save half for the topping after the cake bakes and cools. You’ll have to reheat it so it’s thin enough to drizzle. Feel free to halve the ganache, then garnish the cake with salted caramel or use the chocolate peanut butter topping from this chocolate chip loaf cake instead. (Readers have loved that topping!)
More Bundt Cakes to Love
- Peach Bundt Cake
- Lemon Berry Yogurt Cake
- Apple Bundt Cake
- Chai Cinnamon Swirl Bundt Cake
- Pumpkin Bundt Cake
- Hummingbird Bundt Cake
Or browse all of my dessert recipes.
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Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 65 minutes
- Total Time: 6 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 12
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
This is buttery moist banana Bundt cake swirled and topped with real chocolate ganache. Feel free to halve the ganache and only use it as the swirl. See step 1 below. For other garnish options, use salted caramel or the chocolate peanut butter topping from this chocolate chip loaf cake instead.
Ingredients
Ganache Swirl & Topping
- two 4-ounce qualityย semi-sweet chocolate bars (113g each), finely chopped
- 1 cup (8ย ounces; 240ml) heavy creamย orย heavy whipping cream
Cake
- 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
- 3 cupsย (375g)ย all-purpose flourย (spooned & leveled)
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoonsย baking powder
- 1 teaspoonย baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoonย ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoonย salt
- 3/4 cup (12 Tbsp; 170g)ย unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 cupย (200g)ย granulated sugar
- 1/2 cupย (100g) packed light or darkย brown sugar
- 3ย largeย eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoonsย pure vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/3 cups (320ml) buttermilk, at room temperature*
Instructions
- Preliminary Note: This cake is swirled and topped with chocolate ganache. If you aren’t topping the cake with ganache, halve the ganache recipe so you’re only making what you need for the swirl. (Use one 4 ounce chocolate bar and 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream.)
- Make the ganache:ย Place chopped chocolate in a medium heat-proof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to gently simmer. (Do not let it come to a rapid boilโ thatโs too hot!) Pour over chocolate, then let it sit for 2-3 minutes to gently soften the chocolate. Very slowly stir until completely combined and chocolate has melted. The finer you chopped the chocolate, the quicker it will melt with the cream. You should have about 1 and 1/2 cups of ganache. Set half aside (3/4 cup or 180ml) at room temperature uncovered until it has thickened into a gravy-like consistency, about 30 minutes. Use this in step 7. Cover and refrigerate the rest of the ganache to use as the topping in step 10. Ganache topping can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before using.
- Preheat the oven to 350ยฐF (177ยฐC) and generously grease a 10-inch Bundt pan. To guarantee the Bundt cake releases seamlessly, I strongly recommend using a heavy coating of nonstick spray. Our favorite pans include this one and this one.
- Makeย the cake: Mash the bananas until there’s hardly any lumps. I usually just use my mixer for this! Set mashed bananas aside.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
- Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. (Hereโs a helpful tutorial if you need guidance onย how to cream butter and sugar.) Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Mixture will be chunky and appear curdledโthat’s ok. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not over-mix. The batter will be thick with some lumps. Makes about 6 cups of batter.
- You will use the slightly thickened ganache reserved for the swirl in this step. Pour about 1/3 of the cake batter (about 2 cups) evenly into prepared pan. Drizzle half of the ganache on top (about 6 Tablespoons). Swirl with a knife or toothpick. Evenly pour another 1/3 of the cake batter on top, followed by the rest of the ganache (about 6 Tablespoons), then the rest of the cake batter. Swirl everything together with a knife or toothpick. See photo above for a visual.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean with just a couple lightly moist crumbs. This is a large, heavy cake so donโt be alarmed if it takes a little longer in your oven. If the cake is browning quickly in the oven, tent it with aluminum foil to help it bake more evenly.
- Once done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 2 hours inside the pan. Then, invert the slightly cooled cake onto a wire rack or serving dish. Cool completely before topping, slicing, and serving.
- The ganache topping will be very thick by now. Warm it over low heat on the stove stirring constantly until thinned and drizzle-able consistency. Do not over-heat it. Or warm in 10 second increments in the microwave, stirring after each until thinned. Drizzle over cake, then slice and serve.
- Cover leftover cake tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Cake tastes unbelievable warmed in the microwave for a few seconds and served with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the ganache used for the swirl and topping up to 5 days in advance. Make sure both are warmed/thinned out before using. The ganache used for the swirl should be a gravy-like consistency and the topping can be pretty thin. To warm/thin out, see step 10 above or step 5 in the chocolate ganache post. Cake with or without topping freezes well up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Small Saucepan | Glass Mixing Bowls | Whisk | 10-inch Bundt Pan (I also own and love this one) | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Cooling Rack
- Chocolate: You can use high quality chocolate chips if needed (I prefer Ghirardelli semi-sweet chocolate chips), but I recommend using real chocolate baking bars. You can find them right next to the chocolate chips in the baking aisle. They are sold in 4 ounce bars. I like Bakers or Ghirardelli brands. You can use other varieties of chocolate too, such as milk chocolate (aka German Chocolate) or Dark Chocolate. Do not use white chocolate.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk is required for this recipe. You can make your own DIY buttermilk substitute if needed. Add 1 Tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a liquid measuring cup. Then add enough room temperature whole milk to the same measuring cup until it reaches 1 and 1/3 cups. (In a pinch, lower fat or nondairy milks work for this soured milk, but the cake wonโt taste as moist or rich.) Stir it around and let sit for 5 minutes. The homemade โbuttermilkโ will be somewhat curdled and ready to use in the recipe.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally,
Can I use frozen bananas for this recipe?
Hi Jessica, you can use frozen bananas. We recommend thawing them at room temperature and draining off any excess liquid before using in the recipe.
I made this for a small gathering and there were no leftovers and lots of positive comments. A friend who generally doesn’t like bananas loved this and had an extra helping. It’s moist, tender, delicious and easy to make. Another great recipe from Sally & team! Thank you!
I love the idea of using ganache as the chocolate swirl in this bundt cake. My son has asked for a marble bundt cake for his birthday with ganache frosting. He would love this except for the bananas. Can it be made without the bananas? His birthday is on 9/28 so I am looking for recipes to use for his cake. Thank you for your inspiration.
Hi Darlene, rather than leaving out the bananas, we recommend using the base batter for this chai spice cinnamon swirl Bundt cake. Just leave out the spice swirl and add the ganache swirl. Let us know how it turns out!
Thank you for sharing your recipe I didnโt have the proper ingredients; i made my own heavy cream ( it seemed ok) and buttermilk ( the milk curdled a little bit) i used salted butter, and the cake is still perfect and delicious โค๏ธ
I have made many versions of banana bread, banana muffins, banana chocolate chip muffins, etc. This was the most moist banana baked treat I have ever had. This recipe was easy to make. I made it with my 8 year old daughter. We LOVED the cake. Thank you very much for this recipe!!!
Hi Sally,
Can I add walnuts instead of ganache in tnis recipe?
Absolutely!
I did it today.. it is the most delicious banana cake I ever tried, eat or bake.. cant tell you.. it is just amazing
If I donโt have time to make ganache. Can I add chocolate chips to the batterโฆ I know it wonโt be โmarmalizedโ but I just want chocolate with the banana
Hi Marlene, you can leave out the chocolate ganache layer and add up to 1 cup of chocolate chips instead.
I don’t usually comment on food blogs, but I have to thank you for this recipe! It’s become a go-to for birthday cakes that my family often requests, and beloved by both kids and adults. I’ve changed it to go into cake tins (~25min. off the timer with toothpick testing in between to check), done multiple layers, a tiered cake (with dowels), and covered it with chocolate ganache, icing (ermine and italian buttercream), and both — all have worked great.
So happy to read this, J!
This has become one of my favorite recipes, and the reason I keep whole buttermilk in the fridge. My variation is to use the ganache for the glaze and to use high-quality chocolate chips in the cake, layering them as I would the swirl. The riper the bananas, the better! The cake is so dense, banana-y and chocolatey, it’s a real treat! Thanks very much – it’s hard to find a good banana-forward cake recipe.
Hi Sally, if I wanted to add a little rum into the cake batter how much should I use?
Hi Bryson, we haven’t tested adding rum here and would caution against adding extra liquid to the batter. You could try replacing a small amount of the buttermilk, but we’re unsure of the results. Let us know if you try!
I soak my bananas in dark rum overnight. They get black but it makes the recipes so rich and delicious! The alcohol cooks out.
This bundt cake came out beautifully risen and moist, but I’m not sure the extra effort of making the ganache and swirling it throughout is necessary. The cake is very tasty, but not much different from regular banana bread with chocolate chips thrown in. Although the end result was good and the cake looks attractive baked in a bundt pan, I think I’ll stick with my tried-and-true (with less steps) Sally recipe for banana bread.
Hello Sally- I have used your website for several recipes and love it Today I felt like making something new so I decided to try the Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake. Like another person that commented, my bundt pan is a hair small, so I ended up with extra batter and made cupcakes. I’m not 100% clear on how to cool the cake and remove it from the pan. I think what I’m supposed to do is leave it upright in the pan for two hours and then invert it and continue cooling it. The instructions state that I invert the “slightly cooled” cake. After two hours it will be more than slightly cooled (I think). Please confirm that I am doing this correctly. Hugs to you!
Hi Scott, yes, invert the cake after 2 hours. It won’t be totally cooled yet (it’s a big cake!), then let it finish cooling after inverting.
Wow! I have a gluten allergy and I first found your sight and made Monster cookies. Loved them! So, when I found myself with a bunch of overripe bananas I needed a recipe that would use the lot of them. I substituted the flour in this recipe with King Arthurโs 1:1 All Purpose, added the necessary extra liquid (1/2 c of cream) and the Bundt came out perfect. Moist and delicious and by allowing the batter to sit for 30 minutes before baking, NONE of the usual grittiness using gluten free flours. Thank you for your incredible dedication to baking and the amazing recipes on your website!
This is our new favorite banana cake! Followed the recipe exactly, except I turned the cake out after 1/2 hour. Delicious!
Can I use another pan instead of the Bundt pan? What size would it be? Thanks!
Hi Tultul, see this post on cake pan sizes and conversions. Enjoy the cake!
Can you adapt this cake to be gluten free?
Hi Julie, we havenโt tested this recipe with gluten free flour, so weโre unsure of the results.
Someone else commented that they made it using KA 1 to 1, added a little extra liquid and had great results.
Can the cream cheese frosting from the Best Banana Cake be used on this Chocolate Marble Banana Bundt Cake, or would it be best to stick with your suggestions?
Hi Denise, you absolutely can use that frosting on this cake – yum!