It's similar to the banana bread you have in Australian cafes and is great toasted with or without the brown sugar butter! Plain good quality butter works just as well.
BANANA BREAD RECIPE from GRUB by Jane Lawson
makes 1 loaf (serves 6–8)
150 g (51/2 oz) unsalted butter, chopped & slightly softened
115 g (4 oz/1/2 cup) caster (superfine) sugar
45 g (13/4 oz/1/4 cup) soft brown sugar
2 large eggs 250 g (9 oz/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
11/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
5–6 (about 900 g/2 lb) very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract 125 g
(41/2 oz/1/2 cup) sour cream (you can use a good creamy yoghurt too)
50 g (13/4 oz/about 1/2 cup) walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts, chopped, optional
BROWN SUGAR BUTTER
125 g (41/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
45 g (13/4 oz/1/4 cup) dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon natural vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 160°C (315°F/Gas 2–3).
Grease the base of a loaf (bar) tin approximately 22 cm (81/2 inches) long, 9 cm (31/2 inches) wide and 9 cm (31/2 inches) deep. Line the base with baking paper.
Cream the butter with the caster sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until well incorporated. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon with a pinch of salt, then beat it into the butter mixture to form a thick batter.
Combine the banana, vanilla and sour cream and fold into the butter mixture, with the nuts if using, until just combined. Pour into the prepared tin and smooth over the top.
Bake for 11/4 hours, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool to room temperature.
While the cake is cooling, make the brown sugar butter by beating the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy. (Do not refrigerate unless you are preparing the butter in advance, in which case remove it from the fridge before serving so it softens enough to spread easily.)
Thickly slice the banana bread using a bread knife or serrated knife. Toast and serve hot, spread with the brown sugar butter.
VARIATION: Top a slice of banana bread with thinly sliced banana, dollop with a little of the butter and place under a hot grill (broiler) until lightly golden.
Pssst... For those trying to eliminate/cut back on wheat flour there is another version here. It used almond meal and potato flour etc but sometimes I replace them with coconut and coconut flour . Sometimes I add yoghurt, sometimes dates, or other nuts if not using almonds. Sometimes honey, sometimes maple syrup. A bit of chopped dark chocolate stirred through the batter is pretty damn good too.
*Image above by the seriously lovely Photographer Steve Brown
Grub was published in 2007 by Murdoch Books and is now out of print. Jane Lawson now owns the copyright of text and images which must not be used without permission.
