Chocolate Banana Marble Cake

After so long, finally pick up the mood to bake "cake"... this round, because of the 3riped bananas hanging in the kitchen, thus trying to "utilize" it :P

The recipe called for buttermilk and the result was good! The texture was just nice. It's a keeper!

Ingredients:
- 1C mashed ripe banana
- 1/4C buttermilk @ room temperature
- 2t vanilla extract
- 2C sifted cake flour
- 1t baking soda
- 3/4t baking powder
- 1/4C cocoa powder
- 3T boiling water, plus more if needed
- 170g unsalted butter, softened
- 1C sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature

Method:
1. Preheat oven @ 176C and position oven rack in center. Lightly greased loaf pan with melted butter and line with parchment.
2. Add buttermilk and vanilla into mashed banana and whisk till blended.
3. Sift cake flour, baking soda and baking powder in a medium bowl.
4. Place cocoa powder in small bowl and stir in boiling water till forms smooth paste - it should run thickly off the spoon. If too thick, add another T of boiling water. Set aside.
5. Place butter and sugar and beat @ medium speed till light and almost white in color (4-5mins). Turn to slow speed and add the eggs (1-by-1) till well blended.
6. Pour flour mixture and banana mixture alternately in 3 batches. Manually blend in by hand at last.
7. Transfer half batter to another medium bowl, add cocoa paste and gently blend into the batter.
8. Drop alternating spoonfuls of dark and light batters into prepared pan and marbleize by spoon. See figure below.
9. Bake for 55-65mins until firm to touch and toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf and comes out clean.