See those dark purple strands? That is what I look for in a banana bread. Sometimes, the most difficult desserts to find are the simplest ones. Yes there are banana breads around but many of them are too complicated for my taste. They’re either glazed, have fruit, nuts (or all of the above), some reek of too much nutmeg while others are simple dry and uneventful.
It was my first time to make my own banana bread in the kitchen and can I say, I think I got lucky with the recipe! I took this photo when I pulled the pan out of the oven. I just couldn’t wait. After letting it set overnight, the banana bread now cuts into neat, moist slices. Best of all, I could have sworn, the bread darkened a tad bit (no kidding), which is just the way I imagined it to look from the start 🙂
Liz , here’s the recipe! Let me know how it goes 🙂
MOIST BANANA BREAD RECIPE
1. Cream 1/2c butter and 1c. granulated sugar.
2. Add 3 eggs one at a time into your mixer. Then, throw in 1 tsp vanilla.
3. Next, add 1 2/3c. of all-purpose flour, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt.
4. Finally, add 1c. mashed ripe bananas and 1/2c sour cream.
5. Grease your pan then line it with baking paper. Then comes the tricky part, and I apologize already at this point. ” Tricky” because I was trying different settings while the batter was in the oven.
I puttered around 300-350F, for around 50-70 minutes. Because different ovens tend to differ in heat distribution, check if your cake is done is not really by relying 100% on the recipe but testing the cake with a wire or a fine skewer. Make sure you pull out a clean stick out of the cake.
When ready, pull it out of the oven and let it cool on a wire rack. When it’s cool enough to handle, remove it from the pan and let it cool more. This took me around 30mins to 1 hour.
It will initially feel crusty on top and I was slightly disappointed at the start. However, I let this rest overnight covered in cling wrap and the top turned out moist and SUPER soft! What a lovely surprise to wake up to!
For those who want nuts on their cake, peace of mind and a more accurate recipe, here is the original recipe 😀
Let me know how this goes. Good luck and bon appetit!
This looks insanely delicious!
I got lucky finding this recipe. It really, really works!
THANK YOU!!! Did I make it that obvious that I wanted the recipe? lol–yes, I probably did with that line about “recipe please.” What a payoff 🙂 Am so excited to have this recipe as I once said something along the lines of “you can never have too many b bread recipes.” Have written at least four b bread posts (my fave is http://foodcommunicationservices.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/movie-star-banana-bread-or-andrew-mccarthy-is-all-grown-up-now/ if you haven’t seen) and love trying new recipes instead of making the same bbread repeatedly. Yours looks so so good!
Omg 😮 I looked at the original article… and it really IS Andrew McCarthy!!! I guess we’re not the only ones on the quest for good banana bread 😀 How awesome is that. I like the color of your crust here. I’ll try yours (and Andrew McCarthy’s) next 😀
yes, really truly Andrew McCarthy. Real deal and I LOVE that he’s a food writer. (in case you didn’t get that from my post 😉 ) Looks like we’ll be trading recipes. I’ll post my picture of yours on your fb page if you’ll post your picture on mine… haha. (seriously, though I will–I do these things 😮 )
Definitely — sounds like a plan! But it’ll take some time before I make my next loaf. I struggle through this one (which is even a mini-loaf, btw). Unfortunately, husband does not eat banana bread so all the calories are for me to consume :s
🙂 I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I definitely did! Tried making another batch with buttermilk but the results were not as stellar as your recipe. Thanks so much for sharing — it’s now an added treasure in my kitchen.
I’ll bet the sour cream puts this recipe over the top.
It did, oh my. I tried making another with buttermilk, thinking it would be better but it wasn’t. Sour cream wins 🙂
yes to delicious! Though had I read through your recipe through once before making (which as a recipe writer by profession I always tell other people to do), I would have known to do the baking paper part and wouldn’t have torn a lot of the bottom crust off when removing from the pan. (Bottom crust still good, even separated from the rest of the loaf 🙂 )
Also, couldn’t help but add a dash of cayenne to the batter as the little jar of cayenne pretty much jumped into my hand and said “sprinkle me!” and when a little jar of cayenne talks there’s nothing to do but listen and obey. I definitely like the touch of heat it added. Overall, wonderfully moist and tasty bread. Glad to have a new recipe for the collection. Thanks!
And p.s.–love your casual recipe writing style. More fun that way.
Ohh, thanks Liz — glad to know you’ve actually tried it! And a spiced one at that too 🙂 Funny you were working with cayenne as I was, too, yesterday but mine went into a brine 😀 Wait ’til you see my cooking recipes — they barely have any measurements and it’s all pour a bit of this, a dash of that.and throw it all together. You’re lucky that you enjoy recipe writing because it’s such an effort for me (especially with baking). Hence, the vague instructions. But it needs to be done so I can remember 🙂
my recipe writing services (seems a funny word for that) are at your disposal 🙂
Love that we were both thinking cayenne.
I really think writing out a recipe is a skill. Mine is just all “throw it all in the bowl and mix” kind of instructions, heehee. Sigh 😀 Love a good cayenne kick! Yum yum yum.
Thank you for such a good recipe! It is wonderful, I like to mix my white and wheat flours. The kids request it often.
So nice to hear this, Nicola 🙂 I’ve been wanting to experiment with flours as well. Thanks for popping in. I’m very happy it’s a favourite with the kids!
can I use greek yogurt instead of sour cream
Can’t wait to try the recipes for Passover!! Thanks for the great recipes. I appreciate it so much!!
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