banana cinnamon bread
Can anyone resist the smell of banana bread baking in the oven? I can’t. I’ve been baking this bread at least once a month since we came back from Thailand this July — not only because of the mouthwatering smell that exudes from my kitchen each time I bake it, but most of all thanks to the smile it puts on Jon’s face when he knows he’ll be having banana bread for breakfast the next day! We fell in love with freshly baked banana bread during our honeymoon in Thailand. During the second part of our trip, we stayed at a fantastic hotel on the beach in Khao Lak called The Sarojin, where they have an incredible breakfast concept that I’ve never seen anywhere else in the world — breakfast all day, à la carte, at any time until 6 pm. Yes, you read me right: you can have your pancakes at 9am, 2pm, or even at 4pm. Breakfast at 1pm is more like brunch to me, so rather than settling for just pancakes or eggs we would order a bit of everything to keep us full until the evening — croissants, jams, peanut butter, chocolate spread, eggs, pancakes, waffles and of course, banana bread. We would sit under a parasol with our feet buried in the sand and stuff ourselves to our heart’s content while contemplating the majestic view of the ocean. Ok, I just sounded like a fat cow. Guys, when you’re on your honeymoon you forget all about calorie-counting. Reality hits you when you come home!
The banana bread at The Sarojin was so good that I decided to start baking my own as soon as we moved into our new home. I got the original recipe for this banana bread from one of my mom’s closest friends. When my mom handed it over to me, she referred to it as “the most amazing banana bread ever” and she was right. During the past couple of months, I’ve played around with the ingredients while adding others to come up with my own version. Today, I bring you the final recipe for this amazing (I repeat, amazing) banana cinnamon bread — a.k.a., my (and Jon’s) absolute favorite thing to eat for breakfast.
Are your bananas getting so dark and spotty that you’re even embarrassed to have them still on your kitchen counter? Please don’t throw them away. They might look gross, but they’re at their prime time. They’re the perfect candidates for making banana bread. The best bananas breads are made with the ripest bananas, so the darker and spottier they are, the yummier your banana bread will be.
Even if you don’t plan on eating banana bread during the next week (how could you not!), you can still bake it and freeze it for up to 3 months. If you’re baking it now, it can be kept wrapped in plastic paper or aluminium foil on your kitchen counter for 2 to 3 days, or in the refrigerator wrapped for 4 to 5 days. Beware, however, if you leave it on your kitchen counter — I bet it will be gone by 48 hours!
One month ago: pâte brisée
- 1 ½ cups (180g) flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (115g) butter or margarine, softened at room temperature
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) white sugar
- 2 eggs
- ¾ cup (180g) sour cream or soy yoghurt
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- Before you begin preparing the batter, preheat your oven to 180°C/350°F and grease and flour a loaf pan.
- In a small mixing bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter until creamy and slowly add the white sugar while continuing to mix. Beat until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the eggs and continue beating until you reach a creamy consistency.
- Add the flour mixture to your large mixing bowl and beat, alternating with the sour cream or soy yoghurt. Beat until everything is combined.
- Take a small plate and mash your bananas. Add them to the batter with the vanilla extract and the cinnamon. Beat until everything is combined.
- Pour the batter into your loaf pan. Sprinkle the slivered almonds on top of the batter.
- Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on your oven. In mine, it takes 1 hour. Test the banana bread for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, it means your banana bread is ready!
- Remove the banana bread from the oven and let cool on a wire rack before removing from the pan.
STORING IT: You can keep this banana bread on your kitchen counter, wrapped in plastic wrap or foil, for 2 to 3 days. It keeps well wrapped in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. You can freeze it and keep it for 2 to 3 months. If you desire to do so, wrap it tightly with aluminium foil.
How did your cinnamon banana bread come out? Share photos of your recipe on Instagram by tagging #savormania