cumin and cardamom: Banana Bread

I love this Banana Bread recipe; it is moist, full of banana flavour, tender, light and airy. I have had a lot of banana breads and I can confidently say this recipe is the best for me. I have been making this recipe for 10 years now and it has never failed me. I assure you even the non-banana lovers in your house will love this Banana Bread.

And I will know as bananas are not one of my favorite fruits. If it were left to me I would never buy it, but it is a very healthy fruit and I wanted my son to develop a liking to it, so usually you will find some bananas in the fruit platter on my countertop. Whenever some get left behind and are not eaten up in time, they get used up in this wonderful Banana Bread recipe. This is the only way I will eat bananas.

Recently I tried the Banana Loaf at Starbucks and while it tasted identical to this recipe ( there was some different flavoring added to it though ) the texture was nowhere near this recipe. Their loaf was dense and solid unlike the light and tender crumb this recipe produces. In fact I wonder why it is called a banana bread when it actually should be called a banana cake. Also the walnuts add a lovely texture and crunch to the bread. If you do not have any walnuts you can substitute it with almonds.

So if you have some bananas that are getting brown and needs to be used up pronto make this bread recipe and enjoy it with a nice cup of coffee or a tall glass of milk.

Banana Bread

Makes 2 loaves ( each loaf tin measures 9 in L x 5 in W x 2.5 in D )

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour / maida
1 tbsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup / 1 stick / 4 oz / 113 gm unsalted butter, brought to room temperature
1 cup regular castor sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar
2 large eggs
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup buttermilk*
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped coarsely

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
In a bowl mix the flour, baking soda, salt and set aside.
In another large bowl, cream the butter till it is light in color, add both the sugars a little at a time and beat till the whole mixture is light and fluffy.
Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
Add the mashed banana and mix it well till it is full incorporated into the batter.
Divide the flour mixture into three parts and add one part to the batter, beat it just enough to incorporate it. Next add half of the butter milk and beat it in until just incorporated. Repeat these steps till all the buttermilk and flour is incorporated. Now add the nuts and mix it all in ( I usually do this with the cake beaters; just give it one quick whirl ) Do not over beat the batter.
Lightly grease and flour your pans, or spray with a baking spray and divide the batter between two loaf pans ( fill the batter 2/3 full ).
Bake for 30 - 35 minutes. Check if it is done by inserting a cake tester / toothpick in the center of the bread and if it come out clean, that means the bread is done. Pull it out of the oven and let it rest on your countertop for 15 minutes. Unmold it and let it cool, right side up, on a cooling rack. The bread taste even better the next day. I store my banana bread in an air tight container on the countertop for 4-6 days. I am sure this depends on your climate, if it is too hot, do keep it in the fridge. However, remove it from the fridge 30 minutes prior to serving, as it does taste best at room temperature.