Best banana bread recipe?

[slimpersoninside Profile]

I got a lovely bunch of bananas the back end of last week, I shall have 3 largish ones left that will be a tad ripe so my thoughts have turned to banana bread. I don't have a go to recipe as it's not something I make often (twice I think) so does anyone have a belter they would mind sharing please.

Thanks.

[Binky Profile]

Mary Berry is OH's standard 'go to' banana cake recipe (sorry, not sure if banana bread is the same thing).

[Suelle Profile Website]

I really liked Mary Berry's recipe too, as a basic banana cake/bread.

If you want something slightly different, Dan Lepard's Tropicana Banana Cake is very good. You need dried tropical fruit without too much extra sugar - not crystallised, just dried but still soft. It sometimes takes a bit longer to cook than the recipe suggests.

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... dan-lepard

[Amyw Profile]

https://www.redonline.co.uk/food/recipe ... nana-cake/

This is really good . The dark chocolate and muscavado make it a little bit more out of the ordinary than normal banana bread . Good with creme Fraiche for pudding

[Lusciouslush Profile]

I haven't made banana bread in a long time - in fact I have some mushed brown pulp in the freezer waiting to be transformed into a loaf - it's made with yoghurt & definitely no sugar - must get round to making it soon!

[Stokey Sue Profile]

It depends a bit on what you mean by banana bread

The version I’ve made I serve as a cake and I’ve never felt any urge to serve it as a tea bread with butter, at least when fresh, but some versions are best served that way

It contains golden syrup and walnuts, I can dig out the recipe if you like but I haven’t made it in a long time and not sure I’ve got the method recorded well

[KeenCook2 Profile]

I've made this quite a few times, usually with less sugar: https://www.seasonsandsuppers.ca/2-bana ... ad/#recipe
Everyone who's had it likes it!!

Edited to add that it has the metric equivalents if you're not happy with US cups etc (which I'm not! I always convert to metric!)

I sometimes add walnuts for texture.

[slimpersoninside Profile]

Sorry about the confusion over what type of banana bread , I should have realised as I too never know why it's called bread when I think of it as a cake .

Thank you for your help. I think I'll go with the Mary Berry, I find her recipes reliable.

Not sure at all about tropical fruits but I don't have any anyway so I'd be disappointed if I was desperate to try it .

Don't think I'd put chocolate with banana, don't know why it doesn't appeal to me it just sems wrong.

Sue, thanks for the offer of the recipe, I like the sound of it but hubby has a slight problem eating nuts.

KC2, just noticed your link. Looks good and a contender, thanks.

I think I might have to get some more bananas to ripen in a couple of weeks . Despite not making it often I do like banana cake.

[Suelle Profile Website]

I've added a little dried fruit to Mary Berry's recipe, without detriment to either the cake or the success of the recipe.

https://mainlybaking.blogspot.com/2020/ ... -loaf.html

[Earthmaiden Profile]

I think it's called Banana Bread because it is often made as a loaf. A fruit tea loaf and that kind of thing is sometimes called tea bread. I must admit I think butter goes quite well on the plain sort of banana bread but I don't like it much so rarely eat it (except when I visit DD who seems to make it continually!).

[karadekoolaid Profile]

Don´t know who gave me this recipe, but it works for me every single time:
250 gms flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
115 gms butter
100 gms white sugar
50 gms brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsps vanilla extract
440 gms mashed banana
80 gms chopped walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350°F and grease a loaf tin with butter.
Mix the first 5 ingredients in a bowl.
Beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Finally, add the mashed bananas.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and just barely combine; do not overmix. Add walnuts if wanted. Pour the mixture into the lof tin and bake for 55-65 minutes. Cool for 20 minutes then remove from tin.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I think it's called Banana Bread because it is often made as a loaf. A fruit tea loaf and that kind of thing is sometimes called tea bread.

The one I make is fairly rich and needs to be cooked in a either a loaf tin or a ring tin, if made in a round or square tin however careful you are you end up with a rock hard crust anda soggy, doughy middle

I think the combination of brown and white sugar in kka's recipe would give a similar effect, I searched on line for a syrup recipe similar to mine and most added so much dark muscovado I doubt you'd taste anything else

You could easily skip the nuts or use sultanas instead

[slimpersoninside Profile]

Thanks all.

I can see more than one banana cake in my future, only in the intrests of finding a favourite not because of any excuse to eat cake .

If you should find your recipe Sue, yes please.

[Stokey Sue Profile]

I have found the recipe exactly as I wrote it down, copying it from my friend’s sister in law’s recipe written (literally) on the back of an envelope in 1974
When I’ve made it since, I’ve used the conventional creaming method, but looking at it again I suspect Carole used a stand mixer, because the method doesn’t really work with a wooden spoon

3-4oz butter or marge (100g)
8oz SR flour (225g)
3oz golden syrup (85g)
2oz caster sugar (55g)
1 egg
2oz walnuts (55g, chopped)
2 very ripe bananas (mashed)
(This is the method as I got it, as long as everything goes in it’s very forgiving)
Cream together the butter, sugar and flour. Beat together egg and syrup, and add. Fold in walnuts and bananas. Bake 1 hour in a 7 inch ring tin in an oven preheated to gas mark 4

Notes: the size of the ring tin doesn’t seem to matter much, if you use a slightly bigger one you get a shallower cake that cooks a bit quicker. I butter and flour the tin

Gas mark 4 is 350°F, 180°C or 160°C fan

I think what makes it work is the syrup and the comparative lack of egg - after all, bananas can replace eggs

[slimpersoninside Profile]

Cheers Sue .

Added to the list for another time!

[jeral Profile]

I've been saying I'll make some since 1 Jan as bananas seem to turn instantly from unripe to bad, doh. As I have some golden syrup, I'll give Stokey Sue's recipe a go.

Can someone kindly remind me the ratio of baking powder to plain flour to convert to SR please? Ta.

[KeenCook2 Profile]

I can't remember who it was that said that they had read that if you wrap some clingfilm round the banana stalks it stops them from going brown so quickly, and it worked for them.
I have been doing it ever since, and it really works!

Thank you, whoever it was .... scully maybe? Anyway!

I think it was on that rather useful thread about use by and bb dates etc ...

[jeral Profile]

I happened upon that clingfilm tip recently on one of those rapid eye blink Youtube tip compilations, and yes, obviously I completely forgot about it, tsk. Thanks for the reminder - will definitely remember it now.

[Suelle Profile Website]

I've been saying I'll make some since 1 Jan as bananas seem to turn instantly from unripe to bad, doh. As I have some golden syrup, I'll give Stokey Sue's recipe a go.

Can someone kindly remind me the ratio of baking powder to plain flour to convert to SR please? Ta.

Amounts vary according to source, but 2 teaspoons per 200g flour is what I've usually used.

[jeral Profile]

Thanks Suelle

TBH, cake only has to taste good to me so if it turns out light or dense doesn't matter. (It's bicarb-heavy ones that are my nemesis.)