Banana Bread

I have made this recipe probably more than any other recipe in my baking repertoire! Safe to say, it has been thoroughly tested! Topped with a handful of oats, sliced and slathered with butter, banana bread seems like a fitting description. Topped with dulce de leche or cream cheese frosting, I guess loaf (cake) is more accurate. Whatever you call it, it is always delicious!

Brown sugar would be my first choice, but you can use the same quantity white sugar if you need. If you don’t have self-raising flour, you can use plain/cake/all-purpose flour with baking powder (2 teaspoons/10ml baking powder for every 1 cup/150g of flour).

Makes one medium loaf - about 10 slices

BANANA LOAF BATTER

bananas (ripe/overripe), 2 large (about 300g banana flesh after peeling)

eggs, 2

brown sugar, 110g (125ml or 1/2 cup)

milk, 60g (60ml or 1/4 cup)

oil, 80ml (1/3 cup) - a neutral flavour oil works well (a light olive oil or grapeseed oil)

self-raising flour, 225g (375ml or 1 + 1/2 cups)

bicarbonate of soda/baking soda, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)

fine salt, 1.25ml (1/4 teaspoon)

OPTIONAL TOPPINGS

oats (wholegrain), about 25g (1/4 cup) - before baking

or

Dulce de Leche, about 200g + a sprinkling of sea salt - after baking

or

vanilla cream cheese icing - after baking

To start, preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and grease or line (with baking paper) a medium size loaf tin.

In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork.

Add the wet ingredients including the sugar. Mix until uniform.

Add the dry ingredients, then gently mix together until just combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Top with a handful of oats (if using).

Bake for approximately 30 - 45 minutes (or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean).

Delicious warm out of the oven but will keep for a couple of days stored in an airtight container at room temperature (or freezer for up to three months).

If using, allow the loaf to cool before spreading the top with dulce de leche and a sprinkling of sea salt or with vanilla cream cheese icing (find the recipe link above).