Description[]
Source: THE BIG BOOK OF BACKYARD COOKING - BETTY ROSBOTTOM
One of my earliest childhood memories is of my grandmother’s delicious banana nut bread. I loved the dark golden loaves moistened with puréed fruit and studded with pecans. Like many of her generation, she never wrote down recipes. “A pinch of this” and “a handful of that” were typical directions she offered. After a week of baking, I finally reproduced a similar loaf and as an extra flourish, spread the top with a creamy caramel glaze. This dessert, which holds up well under refrigeration for several days, would make a fine ending to a backyard picnic, or you could offer slices as an afternoon treat along with iced coffee or tea.
Ingredients[]
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, plus extra for greasing pan
- 1⅓ cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring pan
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1¼ cups (3 medium) mashed very ripe bananas
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ¾ cup pecans, coarsely chopped
- Best Ever Caramel Sauce room temperature
Directions[]
- Arrange a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Butter and flour an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan.
- Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a medium bowl and set aside.
- With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, cream butter until smooth, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add sugar and beat until dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Lower speed and add dry ingredients.
- When blended, add bananas and eggs, and beat just until incorporated.
- Remove from mixer, and fold in nuts.
- Pour batter into prepared pan, and spread evenly with a spatula.
- Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
- Cool in pan 10 minutes, then unmold onto a cooling rack.
- Using an icing spatula or table knife, spread enough of the caramel sauce over the top of the banana loaf to coat evenly.
- Heat any extra sauce and serve drizzled over slices of banana loaf. (The banana loaf can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.)
YIELD: SERVES 6 TO 8