Felicity Cloake’s banana bread is, strictly speaking, more of a loaf-shaped cake, but the name matters less than the result. The natural sweetness of very ripe fruit carries the bake, and the loaf is made to keep well and use up bananas that might otherwise go to waste. It is not a health food, though it is a more considered indulgence than Elvis Presley’s favorite fried banana and peanut butter sandwich.
The recipe takes 25 minutes to prepare and about an hour to bake, and it makes one loaf.
Ingredients
- 350g very ripe bananas, peeled (net weight)
- 50g shelled walnuts, or cashews, peanuts or pecans, or chocolate chips (all optional)
- 50g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 180g all-purpose flour, plus extra for the pan
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- ½–1 tsp salt, to taste
- 160g soft light brown sugar
- 2 eggs
Method
1. Choose the bananas carefully
Greenish or even yellow bananas are not suitable. The skins need to be predominantly brown and the fruit inside soft and sweet. To speed ripening, put unpeeled bananas in a paper bag and leave them in a warm place, such as a sunny windowsill or a warm cupboard like a boiler cupboard.
2. Toast the nuts
Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan/gas 6). If using walnuts or other nuts—cashews, peanuts or pecans work particularly well—put them on a tray to toast lightly as the oven heats, taking care not to let them burn. When they smell nutty, remove them, let them cool, then roughly chop. If using chocolate chips instead, add them in step 8.
3. Melt the butter
Melt 50g unsalted butter in a small pan or in the microwave, then let it cool slightly. A dairy-free variety, neutral oil or coconut fat can be used instead, but this recipe also contains eggs. For a plant-based alternative, Meera Sodha’s vegan and gluten-free version is a separate option.
4. Prepare the loaf pan
Lightly grease a loaf pan roughly 21cm x 9cm x 7cm (sometimes sold as a 1-pound pan) with butter or another neutral fat. Coconut oil adds a pleasant tropical note for those who like the flavor; olive oil will also work.
5. Prepare the bananas
Remove and discard the stringy bits along the sides of the bananas and any hard black parts. As long as the bananas do not smell rotten, discolored sections will still taste good once mashed into the batter. Chop about two-thirds of the bananas—roughly 230g, though precision is not necessary—into chunks and put them in a small bowl. Set the rest aside.
6. Mash the bananas
Anchor the bowl to the counter with a silicone mat, damp cloth or tea towel, then use a fork or potato masher to mash the banana chunks until smooth. Break the reserved bananas into chunks, add them to the bowl and mash more roughly, leaving a few larger lumps to give the finished loaf texture.
7. Start the batter
Sift 180g all-purpose flour, 2½ tsp baking powder and ½–1 tsp salt into a second bowl; alternatively, whisk them together and break up any lumps. Put 160g light brown sugar in a third, larger bowl. Soft light brown sugar brings a toffee-like flavor, but white, demerara or muscovado sugar can be used instead. Add the melted butter and stir to remove any clumps of sugar.
8. Finish the batter
Beat the 2 eggs and add them to the sugar bowl. Anchor the bowl as before, then use electric beaters or a whisk to whip the mixture until it is caramel-colored and puffy. Use a large metal spoon to fold in half the bananas, followed by half the flour mixture, then repeat, keeping as much air in the batter as possible. Finally, fold in the nuts if using.
9. Bake and cool
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for about an hour, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and leave to cool completely. Banana bread keeps very well wrapped in paper and can also be frozen for up to three months.