Banana Bread Loaf

banana_bread

Banana bread loaf — soft, golden and comforting, with just the right balance of sweetness and warmth. The kind of bake that makes the kitchen smell incredible and turns overripe bananas into something genuinely special.

Prepare

Less than 30 mins

Cook

1 - 2 hours

Serving

2 loaves

Ingredients

For the banana bread (big loaf energy):

  • 6 very ripe bananas — the spottier, the better

  • 125ml vegetable oil

  • 115g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing

  • 335g caster sugar

  • 4 free-range eggs

  • 450g plain flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

  • 1 tsp ground cloves

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 225g raisins

  • 225g pecans

Method

Let’s bake banana bread (the cosy kind):

Heat the oven to 200°C / 400°F / Gas 6 and grease and line two medium loaf tins (or three smaller ones, if you’re feeling generous).

In a bowl, mash the bananas with the vegetable oil until smooth and glossy, then set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the banana mixture until everything is beautifully combined.

In another bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, spices and salt. Gently fold this into the banana mixture, keeping things light. Add the raisins and pecans and fold again — just enough to mix through.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for about 1½ hours, until risen, golden and smelling incredible. Check after an hour; if the tops are browning too quickly, turn the oven down slightly or loosely cover with foil.

Leave the loaves to cool in their tins, then turn out and slice thickly to serve. Perfect warm, even better the next day.

Helpful tips

Just enjoy!


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