A few months ago I decided to do things out of my comfort zone just to see whether I can manage it or not. I decided to say “yes” to things which is out of my comfort zone and also decided to say “no” when I really wanted to say it (which is way out of my comfort zone). Well, I did it for sometime and I managed “ok”, not great, but still managed. It was good to try some new things and also not to feel guilty for saying “no”. Then I decided it's enough and everything went back to normal.
Now, if you are wondering what's the connection between comfort zone and Banana bread… well, I never used to keep ripe banana in my kitchen, since I didnt like the smell. When I was in the experimental phase of trying uncomfortable things, I decided to try it. I know it's a teeny tiny thing and I'm being fussy about it, but it was the initial days of experiment and I was taking baby steps to warm up to the idea. The strong smell of banana was getting to me and I just wanted to get rid of it. Honestly, that's why I made this bread in the first place :)
Though it's been more than 11 years “somebody” is trying to convince me to try out things at least once before I decide whether I will like it or not, whether I'll be successful or not… I'm not fully convinced. Anyways, I decided before baking itself that I'll not taste this Banana Bread, because it has ripe bananas in it. I baked it, sliced it, photographed it and the next thing I ate it! To my surprise I enjoyed it and I find myself reaching for another slice! All the while a little voice in my head kept on saying, “this is banana bread and you dont like banana”!! I decided to shove the voice away and enjoy it fully. No wonder, the creator of this recipe has called this “The Best Banana Bread”.
I havent tried Banana Bread before, so I'm not an authority to say whether it's best ever, but if a person like me who strongly dislikes Banana enjoys it, it has to be good, right? I do hope you get to try this and like it too. It's a very simple recipe, with easily available ingredients. It has less fat and sugar (comparatively) and there is a fruit in it ;) It's good for breakfast or for your kid's tiffin box or for your evening cuppa.
Here is the recipe…
In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and oil until well beaten together…
Add in mashed bananas, sugar and vanilla and mix well…
Sift in flour, baking soda and salt and mix in nicely, do not over mix…
Pour into greased loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees F for about an hour. Check at an hour (refer notes) by doing the toothpick test. Bake longer as needed until cooked through…
Recipe from here
Ingredients
- 2 Eggs
- 1/3 cup Buttermilk (refer notes for substitute)
- 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
- 1 cup Mashed bananas (I used 3 medium bananas)
- 1 1/4 cup Brown sugar (refer notes)
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 3/4 cup Plain flour
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 - 3/4 cup Semi sweet chocolate chips (refer notes)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C, 10 mins before baking. Grease and line a 9x5 loaf pan and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk and oil until well beaten together.
- Add in mashed bananas, both sugars and vanilla and mix well.
- Sift in flour, baking soda and salt and mix in nicely, do not over mix.
- Add chocolate chips and fold in gently.
- Pour into greased loaf pan and bake in the preheated oven for about an hour (refer notes). Check at an hour by doing the toothpick test. Bake longer as needed until cooked through.
Notes
To substitute buttermilk, add 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice in a measuring cup and add milk to make it 1/3 cup. Let it rest for 5-10 mins.
I got one big loaf and 1 small loaf from the above qty. You can also bake this as muffins, if you like. My bread was ready in 45-50 mins. Keep a close watch after 40 mins of baking.
You can store the banana bread in an airtight container at room temp for 3-4 days, unless you are living in extreme humid places.
Hello Maria,
I’ve tried this receipe and it came out just beautiful.
Hi, can I make this cake in pressure cooker?
Hi Nikhitha,
I haven’t tried baking in a pressure cooker. If you are used to that, I am sure this recipe can be baked liked that.
Tried it and turned out great! Thanks for the simple and easy to follow recipe!
Hi Maria,
I would love to try this cake today. What variety of banana did you use for the same?
Hi Elma,
I used Chiquita Banana for this recipe. Hope you get to try this soon and like it too.
Cheers
Maria
Hi Maria,
Hope you are doing good. I tried banana bread recipe from you and it came out well. One doubt I have is instead of 2 bananas i had added 3 thinking that it would give more taste. The taste was really good but I didn’t get crispy crust outside . It was very soft. Was it because of extra bananas. Also i baked bread at 170 celsius in baking mode(bottom rod with fan option in my OTG).Can you give me some suggestions/tips on these
Hi Eliza,
I’m doing good, thanks :) Bananas, usually makes the cake moist and soft. So I guess, it’s better to use the qty mentioned in the recipe. Also if you want a crispier crust, bake the last 3-5 mins, only the top portion on a bit higher temp. But you’ve to keep a close watch.
What suggestion you need regarding bread?
Hi Maria, your website it my one stop for all recipes!I tried the Banana bread and it was sooooood good!! Thanks a ton for sharing this recipe! Would love to meet you someday!:)
Can I replace biter in. The place of oil
Can I add full fat milk in the place of buttermilk ,,,??can we make buttermilk frm yogurt ??hvnt made cake with yogurt and buttermilk.ur moist banana cake also requires yogurt .there s no need to add bicarbonate soda as this is fruit cake which s dense..is it not neceasary??
Hi Benazir,
I’ve mentioned in the notes on how to substitute buttermilk with milk. I havent tried this recipe with just milk. I usually follow a baking recipe as such with minimal changes and if I happen to make any changes I mention it in the notes. Baking soda is used and it’s mentioned in the ing list, please read the recipe carefully.
Lovely recipe Maria we loved it!Thanx for sharing this wonderful recipe.
You are welcome Laiju :) Glad you liked it. Thanks a lot for the comment!
Cheers
Maria
Hello Maria,
I’ve been looking for a good banana cake recipe forever and never succeeded with any that I found online. That’s when I saw this post from you and immediately decided to try this as I had a few too ripe bananas that I wouldn’t bother to eat. And the cake turned out to be amazzinggg! It was jus perfect and what I was looking for all this while! My husband gorged on it and it was finished the next day!
Thank you very much for such a simple and fabulous recipe! Please keep posting more and more! You’re a star! (I also tried the 5 minute Chilli paneer and it was great too! So easy for working women) Looking forward to seeing more posts from you!
Thanks,
Susan
Hi Susan,
Thank you very much for your lovely feedback :) I’m really happy to know that you liked this banana cake recipe. Yeah it’s a good one, if I say so myself :) Thanks again for taking time to share your feedback here, appreciate it very much.
Cheers
Maria
do you buy the buttermilk?
Hi Litty,
I’ve mentioned in the notes on how to substitute buttermilk, I follow that method. Btw, if you are based in Gulf, you can use Laban in buttermilk’s place.
Cheers
Maria