Banana Bread.
I have been tweaking and adapting my banana bread recipe for years and I’ve finally settled on something which I believe to be the BEST! You heard it here first. Oh, and bonus - it happens to be vegan too!
The time in the oven can be quite variable depending on your oven/the nuts you use etc so test it with a knife after 50 mins and if it’s coming out with raw mixture on it then give it another 5-10 minutes accordingly. It is a very moist cake though so don’t go overboard or you’ll lose the lovely gooeyness!
Ingredients.
3 brown bananas, mashed
65g granulated sugar
65g light brown/muscovado sugar
80ml oil, plus a little extra to line your tin
1 tsp vanilla bean paste, or extract/essence
150g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp salt
75g pecan nuts, (or any that you prefer) roughly chopped
50g 70% dark chocolate, roughly chopped
For the top:
2 tbsp demerara sugar, essential for the crunch
1 brown banana, halved lengthways
Equipment.
Weighing scales & measuring spoons
Baking/parchment paper, to line the tin
Mixing bowl & wooden spoon
Fork or masher, for bananas
Loaf tin
Method.
Preheat the oven to 175°C / 350°F
Grease your loaf tin with oil and line with baking paper
Add all the ingredients (except nuts & chocolate chips) to a mixing bowl and beat vigorously until completely combined
Fold in the nuts & chocolate until evenly incorporated
Empty mixture into the loaf tin, and top with the 2 banana halves (if using) and sprinkle generously with demerara sugar
It should take about 1hr, but check the cake after 50 mins - if an inserted knife comes out with no raw mixture on then it’s cooked. If not, give it another 10mins or so. Do go overboard - it should be just cooked but still moist!
