Banana Bread

This delicious banana bread with a hint of cinnamon is a hybrid between a sweet cake and a hearty bread loaf. Make sure you use ripe banana’s for the best flavor.

I have tried out quite a few recipes of banana bread over the years but this particular recipe has to be the best I have tried. It’s by Curtis Stone who who is one of my favorite celebrity chefs courtesy MasterChef Australia (need to watch the latest season). A friend had requested me to make it for her, and she loved it so much that she promptly ordered three more.Turns out it was the only thing that her sister (who was expecting at that time) would eat. Had no inkling of how popular this recipe could be.

It takes about an hour and fifteen minutes in the oven, and during that time our home is filled with the beautiful fragrance of this bread baking. The bread itself is moist with a delicious crunchy exterior – lots of banana flavor, and a hint of cinnamon.

One thing that that you need to keep in mind is that while the recipe is great, what will turn it spectacular is selecting the right banana’s. The banana’s MUST, and I repeat, MUST be ripe. The outer cover should have black patches and the inside should be mushy, with a rich fragrance. It’s tempting to make it with just under-ripe banana’s but just wait one more day, or put them in a brown paper to speed the ripening process and the taste will be totally worth it.

As with all banana bread’s, the loaf tastes better the next day, and can also be slathered with butter and jam for a truly decadent breakfast.

Would love it if you could try out and rate the recipe, and let me know how it was in the comments below! 

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Banana Bread

This delicious banana bread with a hint of cinnamon is a hybrid between a sweet cake and a hearty bread loaf. Make sure you use ripe banana's for the best flavor.

Course Baking, Dessert

Cuisine Baking, Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 35 minutes

Servings 8 people

Calories 3192 kcal

Ingredients

• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda/Bicarbonate Soda
• 1 2/3 cups Plain Flour/Maida
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 2 Eggs
• 1 1/4 cups Sugar ground for 30 seconds in a spice grinder.
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 2 tablespoon Fresh Yogurt/Dahi
• 4 medium Bananas mashed

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease and line base of a large 13.5cm x 23.5cm loaf pan.

2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon together in a large bowl and keep aside. Place the banana's in a small bowl. Mash with a fork, and then add the vanilla and yoghurt. Cover and set aside.
   

3. Place eggs and sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric whisk for about 5 - 8 minutes, or until very thick and pale and the mixture forms a ribbon when beater is lifted. Alternatively, use a stand mixer on medium-high speed.

4. Reduce speed to low and beat in the oil in a steady stream. Mix in the banana and yoghurt mixture slowly. 

5. Add the dry mixture (flour and cinnamon) into the wet mixture, and fold lightly with a spatula. Make sure the mixture is thoroughly combined. 
6. Pour mixture into loaf pan and bake for 1 1/4 hours, or until a skewer comes out clean when tested. If bread is becoming brown from edges, then cover edges with foil in the end.
7. Cool in pan briefly then turn out onto a rack to cool

Recipe Notes

Adapted by a Curtis Stone recipe