french yoghurt cake
almond and cranberry granola
have a fun weekend.
baked quinoa and millet patties
have a great weekend.
banana bread
It was my birthday on Sunday and I am overjoyed to say I spent it surrounded by all my best friends and family in England!
I have never baked a cake (true story) but I’m pretty sure that banana bread should really be called banana cake. I love how “banana bread” makes it sound relatively healthy and breakfast-y. Although this version really is not that unhealthy – just 3/4 cup sugar and a couple tablespoons of butter. Oh – and that sour cream…
Either way, in my opinion, it’s totally cause for celebration:
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I’m not much of a baker and only started trying my hand a couple of years ago. This is the first time I have made banana bread and without wanting to toot my own horn, it’s easily the best baked good I’ve ever created. How do I know this? Well, I found it totally delicious myself but the fact that it disappeared faster than a speeding bullet is also a good clue. David Lebovitz, I bow down to you.
Banana Bread
adapted from David Lebovitz
Ingredients:
- 1½ cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon or to taste (I know there’s a lot of cinna-lovers out there!)
- ¾ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 egg white
- 1 egg, at room temperature
- 1 cup mushed banana, made from about 2 very ripe medium-sized bananas (I used the back of a fork to mush!)
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips
Directions:
- Butter a 9-inch square/bread pan. Preheat the oven to 350F.
- Sift together in a bowl the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix in the sugar.
- In a large bowl, mix together the butter, egg white, egg, banana puree, sour cream, and vanilla.
- Create a space in the center of the flour mixture and stir in the wet ingredients with a spatula or wooden spoon until almost mixed. Add in the chocolate chips and stir until just combined, without over-stirring: stop when any traces of flour disappear.
- Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until the center has a spring and feels just done.
- Cool on a baking rack.
Storage: This cake will keep well for a few days, or it can be frozen, wrapped in plastic wrap, for a few months, ready to be whipped out when friends come over for brunch! Good luck not eating it all in one sitting though.
Want more banana goodness in your life?
Category: recipe | Tags: baking, brunch, sweet treats 14 comments »
March 15th, 2010 at 10:02 am
Belated happy birthday! Banana bread is easily my fave sweet bread. I can't wait to try to make my banana goodness bread with gluten free flours
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March 15th, 2010 at 11:12 am
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOVAH! i hope you had an amazing birthday in England and cannot wait to catch-up when you return stateside.
and please bring some banana cake back. i wants.
love you!
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March 15th, 2010 at 11:13 am
WOOOOO hope your birthday was smashing!
that banana bread is killing it!
miss you, love you :) have a great week!
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March 15th, 2010 at 12:16 pm
Those are some org… um, foodgasmic pictures! YUM-O!!!
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March 15th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
happy belated birthday to you! your banana bread looks TASTY! :)
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March 15th, 2010 at 11:28 pm
Happy belated birthday honey bunches!!! Looks like you enjoyed it :-)
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March 16th, 2010 at 11:46 am
1) happy birthday
2) send me some bread
XXX,
Elise
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March 16th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Happy Bee-Day!!! Or, erm, Banana Bread Day :) That looks SO yummy! I have yet to make a stellar loaf of banana bread, I will have to give it another try with this recipe :)
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March 16th, 2010 at 7:33 pm
Wishing you a VERY happy, merry belated birthday!!
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March 16th, 2010 at 8:08 pm
Happy birthday!
I love banana bread/banana cake! Anything that tastes as yummy!
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March 18th, 2010 at 12:00 pm
I love banana bread! I actually made some this past weekend :)
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March 19th, 2010 at 7:59 am
Happy (belated) Birthday! We're almost birthday buddies–mine was last Saturday! :)
Agreed that it should be called banana cake. Yours looks delicious.
I am so glad you got to spend your birthday with your family and friends. Loved your comment about Boston Tea Party…totally made me smile!
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March 19th, 2010 at 10:19 am
banana bread = my fav. food ever.
this post = me drooling on my planner.
HAPPY FRIDAY!
welcome homeeeee
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March 19th, 2010 at 3:27 pm
Oh goodness, I love banana bread! Especially when it comes with chocolate chips :-)
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