Serves: 8–10 | Time: 1 hr 10 min
A quick and easy recipe making use of ripe bananas past their prime. The focus is on the banana — no competing flavors.
Ingredients:
Cake
- ½ cup / 1 stick (115 g) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
- ½ cup (100 g) dark or light brown sugar, packed
- 2 large eggs
- 2¼ cups (about 3 large) very ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
Topping
- 2 Tbsp pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Preheat and prepare. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 5-inch (23 x 13 cm) loaf pan and line the base with parchment paper, leaving an overhang on both sides for easy lifting.
Cream butter and sugar. Beat the softened butter and brown sugar together until pale and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes.
Add the eggs and bananas. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the mashed bananas and mix until combined.
Add the dry ingredients. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Fold together with a spatula until just combined — stop as soon as no streaks of flour remain. Overmixing makes the cake dense.
Make the topping. Mix the chopped pecans or walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon together in a small bowl.
Assemble and bake. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and smooth the surface. Sprinkle the topping evenly over the batter — do not press it in. Bake for 55–65 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool. Rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then lift onto a wire rack. Cool at least 20 minutes before slicing.
Notes:
Bananas: The riper the better. Frozen-and-thawed bananas don’t work well even if you thaw them completely and drain off any liquid before mashing. You loose most of the sugar and with it the banana flavor.
Butter vs. margarine: Butter gives a richer flavor; margarine a slightly lighter crumb. Either works.
Brown sugar: Dark brown sugar gives a deeper molasses flavor; light brown sugar is milder. Both work well.
Pecans vs. walnuts: Either works. Chop them small so the topping caramelizes evenly.
Doneness: Start checking at 55 minutes. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with foil and continue baking.
Storage: Wrap tightly and keep at room temperature for up to 3 days. Freeze individual slices for up to 2 months.
