This “All-in-One Pan Chocolate Cake”, is one of my favourite kind of recipes — one bowl (or one pan!), minimal washing up, and a sneaky way to use up ripe bananas or leftover fruit.
It’s a great way to use up ingredients that might otherwise go to waste, especially those overripe bananas sitting in the fruit bowl. And if you’re not a fan of bananas, don’t worry — I’ve listed plenty of alternatives so you can still enjoy a rich, chocolatey cake without them.
This cake is quick, easy and perfect when you’ve got guests coming over or just want something sweet without too much effort. It’s also fun to serve straight from the pan at the table with a scoop of ice cream or a little cream on the side.
Why You’ll Love this All-in-One Pan Chocolate Cake
I’m all about recipes that are easy, simple & comforting — and this one ticks all the boxes.
- One pan = less washing up
- Quick and easy to make
- A great way to use up ripe bananas or leftover veg
- Perfect for baking with kids
- A real crowd-pleaser every time
- Moist, chocolatey and seriously moreish
Who doesn’t love chocolate cake? I can tell you — my two absolutely love it, as do their friends whenever they come over.
I actually baked this with my daughter and her friends during a sleepover recently, and they had the best time getting involved. Most importantly… they loved eating it! There was chocolate everywhere, but we had great fun. They all got stuck in and enjoyed making it together, then had it while watching a movie with hot chocolate — there was a serious chocolate overload going on!
But life is all about balance and building memories!
My daughter’s friends actually really enjoy being in the kitchen with me, and I feel so lucky to be able to pass these skills down to my daughter. It reminds me of my own childhood and the hours I spent in the kitchen with my mum, learning and just enjoying being together.
I’ll be honest, there wasn’t much sleep at the sleepover 😅 but they were all in great spirits the next morning, and we kept it simple with my quick and easy pancakes served with yogurt and homemade chia jam — the perfect easy breakfast after a late night! Looking for more breakfast recipes? Check out my 3 Weekend Breakfast Recipes for some more delicious inspiration! If you try this recipe, make sure to tag @littleloucooks, I love seeing all your bakes.
‼️Warning- most frying pans are oven safe – check that yours is before trying this!
All in – One Pan Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 ripe bananas – 150g approx- or swap for puree: apple beetroot, carrot, sweet potato
- 100 g chocolate chips
- 100 g butter
- 150 ml milk of choice
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 220 g self raising flour – or plain flour plus 1.5 tsp baking powder
- 30 g cocoa powder*
- 50 g caster sugar
- Ganache to finish:
- 125 g choc chips
- 25 g butter
- Notes: -I use salted butter to make a nicer tasting cake.
- -You can absolutely just bake this in a 9 inch cake tin – just line it with baking parchment paper first.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven 180ºc fan. Grab a 10 inc non stick frying pan or use a 9inc cake tin lined with parchment paper.
- Melt the chocolate chips and butter in short bursts in the microwave, stir well.
- Mash the bananas in the pan, being careful with the non-stick coating on the pan. Then stir in the melted chocolate and butter, crack in the eggs. Pour in the milk and vanilla, mix well.
- Gently mix in the flour, cocoa powder and sugar.
- Bake for 25 mins approx – until a cocktail stick comes out clean.
- Leave to cool for 30 mins.
- For the ganache: gently melt the chocolate chips and butter, stir to combine. If it’s very runny leave to cool for 10 minutes then pour over the cake.
- Slice and serve- use a rubber spatula to get the slices out in one piece.
- Storage: Good in an air tight container for 3 days.
