Moist and Sweet Homemade Banana Bread
Baking Banana Bread at Home, Creative Banana Recipes
Made delicious banana bread with overripe bananas! This recipe is perfect for using up those bananas that are a little past their prime but still full of flavor. Enjoy a moist and flavorful treat.
Ingredients- 3 ripe bananas
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour (approx. 180g)
- 80g sugar
- 2g salt
- 3g baking powder
- 30g unsalted butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 30g roasted cashews, chopped
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Check the ripeness of your bananas. The more brown spots on the peel, the sweeter the banana, which leads to a more flavorful bread. Even if the peel looks dark, the inside is likely perfectly fine to use.
Step 2
Peel two of the bananas and place them in a medium-sized bowl. Mash them thoroughly using a fork or a potato masher until mostly smooth. A few small lumps are perfectly okay.
Step 3
Your mashed bananas are ready! This forms the moist and sweet base of your bread.
Step 4
Slice the remaining banana into approximately 0.5cm thick rounds for topping the bread. Slicing them too thin might cause them to break apart during baking.
Step 5
In a separate clean bowl, crack one large egg and whisk it gently until smooth. The egg helps to bind the ingredients together and adds richness.
Step 6
Melt the 30g of unsalted butter. You can do this by placing it in a microwave-safe bowl and heating it for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until completely liquid.
Step 7
Prepare your 30g of roasted cashews. These will add a lovely crunch and nutty flavor to your banana bread. You can use them whole or roughly chop them.
Step 8
Add the 80g of sugar and 2g of salt to the bowl with the mashed bananas. Stir well with a spatula. The sugar enhances the natural sweetness of the bananas, while the salt balances the overall flavor.
Step 9
Now, let’s add the dry ingredients. To the mashed banana mixture, sift 1.5 cups of all-purpose flour (about 180g) and 3g of baking powder. (Tip: While cake flour is often recommended for a softer texture, all-purpose flour works well and is what we’re using here. If you have cake flour, feel free to substitute it.)
Step 10
Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients using a spatula. Mix just until no dry flour streaks remain. Overmixing can develop gluten, resulting in a tough bread.
Step 11
Pour in the melted butter and the 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Vanilla complements the banana flavor beautifully.
Step 12
Stir gently one last time until everything is just combined. Your banana bread batter is now ready! Be careful not to overmix.
Step 13
Lightly grease an 18cm round baking pan with cooking oil or some of the melted butter. This step prevents the bread from sticking to the pan.
Step 14
Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan gently on the counter a few times to release any large air bubbles and then use a spatula to smooth the top surface evenly.
Step 15
Arrange the sliced banana rounds and chopped cashews evenly over the top of the batter. This adds a lovely decorative touch and extra flavor.
Step 16
Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 25 minutes. You can test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the center; if it comes out clean, the bread is ready. (Note: I used a convection oven without preheating, so baking time might vary. Adjust based on your oven’s performance.)
Step 17
Your delicious banana bread is out of the oven! It should be a beautiful golden brown.
Step 18
Let the bread cool in the pan for a few minutes before carefully inverting it onto a wire rack to cool completely. Once cooled, slice it into your desired portions and enjoy!
