Chocolate-Banana Tea Loaves

1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting loaf pans

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, plus more for smearing in loaf pans

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

6 very ripe bananas, mashed (the riper the sweeter; they can even be black)

1/2 cup shredded coconut

1 cup cold sour cream

Position
oven racks in center of oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. Smear two
5-by-9-inch loaf pans with butter and dust them lightly with flour.

Whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium-size bowl.

In
a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together, using whisk
attachment of a standing or handheld electric mixer on high speed until
the mixture is creamy, fluffy and a light lemon-yellow color. With the
mixer on low, beat in the eggs. Add the banana and coconut, and
continue mixing at low speed until it is completely incorporated into
the batter.

Stir half of the sour cream into the wet ingredients
with the paddle attachment of the mixer (or with a wooden spoon). Fold
in the dry ingredients. Repeat until all the ingredients are combined
and not a trace of flour remains.

Use a rubber spatula to scrape
the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Make sure to divide the batter
equally between the two pans, so they will require the same baking time.

Place
the loaf pans side by side on the center rack in the oven and bake for
70-75 minutes. I like to take these out before they’re totally done, so
the toothpick test is a bit tricky. A toothpick or small knife inserted
into the edge of each loaf will come out clean. Inserted deep into the
center, it will come out with some wet batter stuck to it. When the
loaves are ready to come out of the oven, they will have split on top
and pulled away from the sides of the pan.

Remove the loaves from
the oven and set them on a wire rack for a few minutes, until they are
cool enough to touch. Don’t worry when the lovely mounds on the top of
the loaves fall within minutes after coming out of the oven. This cake
does that. To remove a loaf from its pan, place the rack over the top
of the pan and quickly flip the pan so the loaf falls out onto the
rack. Allow to cool a bit before slicing. Serve warm or at room
temperature. If you are undercooking them, don’t remove them from the
pans. Just slice and serve hot. Makes 16 servings.

Per serving:
290 calories; 14 g fat (8 g saturated fat; 43 percent calories from
fat); 39 g carbohydrates; 70 mg cholesterol; 250 mg sodium; 4 g
protein; 3 g fiber.

25 minutes to make

70 minutes to bake