Easy Banana Loaf

Easy Banana Loaf

When you need a loaf bread to adorn the kitchen tabletop, it has got to be a banana loaf. It matures nicely under the cake dome and is good at any time of the day. My favourite though, is during the 4 pm slump - warmed up lightly, spread with a thin layer of salted butter. This banana loaf recipe is my go-to when I cannot be bothered to spend more than 15 minutes in the kitchen. It adopts the muffin method (dry in one bowl, wet in another, wet on dry and mix mix mix) and works like a dream because the warm melted butter helps to better evenly distribute the fat throughout the dry stuff, producing a fine crumb. Tip is NOT TO over mix the batter (It is perfectly fine to have a few lumps).

Ingredients (Makes one regular loaf):

• 125g unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup caster sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla bean extract
• 2 large ripe bananas, mashed (if bananas are smaller, use 3)
• 1 egg
• 1/1/2 cup self-raising flour, sifted
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Handful of walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp of light brown sugar (for sprinkling)

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 170 degree C.
2. Line a 17.5 by 8.5 cm loaf tin with baking paper and set aside. 

3. Melt the butter, caster and brown sugar and vanilla extract in a saucepan. Once butter is melted, remove from heat. 

4. Add mashed banana into the melted butter mixture and mix well with wooden spoon.

5. Add egg in and mix well. 

6. In a separate medium-sized mixing bowl, combine sifted flour and salt. Create a well in the centre and pour the wet mix in. Add in milk and mix gently until well combined. A few lumps is OK!

7. Tip batter into lined loaf tin and sprinkle chopped walnuts over batter. 

8. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly over top of batter before popping it into the oven. 

9. Bake at 170 degrees at 45-50 minutes. Check at the 40-minute mark. Cake is ready when wooden skewer comes out clean. 

Don't fancy nuts? Do it with semi-dark chocolate chips instead! 

Made mine in a smaller loaf ceramic mould
 and had extra batter to fill 4 small cuppies. 

Breakfast is served!

On healthy days, banana loaf with a dollop of Greek yogurt.

It tastes even better the next day. The banana flavour
matures nicely and sweetens up the cake - that is
if you have any leftovers from the first day!