Banana Bread Cake

Ingredients:

Non-stick baking spray, for the pan (baking spray has flour mixed in)
8 tablespoons (one stick) salted butter (melted and cooled)
1 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 large eggs (beaten)
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4-5 over ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup pecans, chopped
1-2 tablespoons sugar, if you feel it is needed

Turbinado sugar, for covering the top

Directions:

1)  Preheat the oven to 350F°.  Spray an 8x8 pan with non-stick baking spray or line it with     parchment paper.

2)  In a stand mixer with paddle attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand-held electric mixer), beat together the butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Add the bananas and mix until combined.

3)  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry ingredients in to the wet ingredients and beat until just combined.  Add the pecans (if using) and mix until combined.

4)  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.  If you wish to follow this step, sprinkle the Turbinado sugar over the top.  The author recommends covering the who surface completely with sugar; as much as you like.  This and baking sugars maintain their crystallization and give a pleasant crunch.

5)  Bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.  Let the bread cool slightly in it's pan on a rack.  Slice and serve warm with salted butter or cream cheese.

6)  When completely cooled, cover the pan with foil and store at room temperature for up to two days.

Makes eight servings


MY NOTES:

*  I've made this recipe about four times and it's come out perfectly each time.

*   The recipe calls for an 8x8 pan.  I am going to try it with a bundt pan the next time I make this.  I think as long as the banana isn't in big chunks (which she says you can do) but rather smooth, a bundt pan should work.  I would warn you should leave cakes in bundt pans about a half hour for ease in removing.  I put the pan on a large cooling rack.

*  The recipe calls for salted butter.  You are already using salt in the batter recipe.  I don't think it's needed.  I've always used unsalted butter.

* The recipes says 4-5 bananas.  I've always used five.  I make sure they are fully ripened and I slice them into the mixing bowl before using the hand mixer to get a really smooth batter.  Just a matter of personal preference.  Also, with more banana, I have never felt the need to add extra sugar to the batter.

*  I've always used the chopped pecans, because I am used to making banana bread this way (my mother's recipe which is on this blog.)  It is stated you can also use chocolate chips as a substitute for the nuts.  I'm not sure I would like that combo, but I agree that it would work.

*  I do use the Turbinado sugar over the surface of the batter.  It makes a nice crunch.  I do not use it thickly, although I suppose you could.

*  As an aside, it says the prep time is 15 minutes, cooking is 45-50 minutes.  You might even get buy with 40 minutes depending on how your oven runs.  Let cool 5-10 minutes...or longer.

Banana Bread -- Mom's and Chocolate Bits Banana Cake

Mom's Banana Bread

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter

3 ripe bananas, mashed

2 tablespoons sour cream, yogurt or milk

1/2 cup chopped nuts (or 3/4 cup)

2 large eggs, beaten

Have butter and eggs at room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Put in parchment lined or greased 9 x 3 loaf pan.

 Shift flour, salt and baking soda.

Mix butter and brown sugar, then add eggs and mashed bananas.   

Work flour mixture in gradually.

Add nuts

Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour, check at 50 minutes.

 

Chocolate Muscavado Banana Cake

2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup plus one tablespoon Muscavado (dark brown) sugar

3 medium bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs, room temperature

3 1.2 ounces dark chocolate (shaved, chips or nibs)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  You will need a non-stick loaf pan 9.5 x 5 x 3 inches deep lined with parchment paper. 

Sift the flour and baking powder together.

Using an electric mixer cream the butter and dark brown sugar together until light and fluffy and pale coffee colored.

Put the bananas in a bowl and mash them with a fork.  Gradually add them into the butter and sugar mixture.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Whip the eggs and beat them into the sugar butter mixture.  Introduce a teaspoon of flour at any sign of curdling.

Chop the chocolate into the size of fine gravel, or use tiny chips or nibs and fold into mixture.  Add 1/2 cup pecans if you wish nuts.  Gently fold in the flour and baking powder mixture.

Scrape the mixture into a lined loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes.  Insert a skewer to see if it comes out clean at the end.  Let the cake settle in the pan for a few minutes, then lift out by paper and let cool on a regular surface.  Carefully peel off paper.  Serve cool in thick slices.  Very good with cream cheese.

NOTES: 

The major variation between the two is baking soda versus baking powder.  The Muscavado recipe gives you a smoother, more cake like texture.  The baking soda version, Mother's, give you more of a normal fruit bread like texture which is darker and coarser.

I always put chopped pecans into banana bread, so it's not an optional with me, and I usually use slightly more than 1/2 cup.

I grew up buttering and-or flouring cookie sheets and baking pans.  More and more I find myself turning to parchment paper.

Using dark brown Muscavado sugar versus light brown means you are adding more molasses and therefore a deeper flavor which complements and doesn't obscure the banana flavor.