Bananas have been used in baking for everything from Nutella and banana grilled cheese to banana pancakes. But the best banana recipe has to be banana bread.
Have you ever met anyone that doesn’t like banana bread? If you have, they must be from a different planet. My recipe for banana bread includes an odd ingredient, mascarpone cheese, but it is the key to developing a moist banana bread with a depth of flavour and ideal texture.
The bananas used for this banana bread should be ripe. It is important the bananas are ripe to get the banana flavour to shine through in your bread. If they are not ripe, you can bake them at 250°F for 8-10 minutes until the skin appears darkened. Ripening sweetens the flavour of the bananas and this low baking will do the same.
Mascarpone Banana Bread
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
#SpoonTip: Be sure to use a non-stick 9” x 5” loaf pan or butter the sides of the pan if not non-stick.
In a large bowl, cream together brown sugar, mascarpone, and butter.
Cream together these ingredients for at least 5 minutes, until the mixture becomes light in colour and fluffy in texture.
#Spoon Tip: This step is easier with a hand-held electric mixer or stand-mixer.
Add in the eggs, one at a time, to the sugar mixture. Be sure to beat in each egg until completely combined.
In a medium bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and baking soda with a fork or whisk.
#SpoonTip: This mixing method aerates the mixture and is important to get the right consistency in the banana bread. It is a more mild form of sifting.
In another bowl, mash the bananas.
#SpoonTip: I like my bananas to be mashed very well, but it is okay to leave chunks if you prefer little bites of banana hidden in your bread.
Add half the flour mixture and half the bananas to the sugar mixture. Mix until just combined. Add the remaining flour and bananas and once again mix until combined.
Add in any mix-ins you would like.
Pour batter into loaf pan and flatten out the top. Bake for at least 75 minutes. Check for doneness with cake tester. The cake tester should come out clean.
#SpoonTip: Depending on the moisture in the bananas, the bake time could run longer. I have had to bake a loaf before for close to 2 hours. It will seem like a lot of time, but be patient.