I can only eat bananas when there’s still a bit of green on the stem. After that, they’re sent to the “banana bread” pile. But no one at our house seems to complain!
I found this recipe years ago through Cooking Light magazine, made a few modifications, and have never baked banana bread any other way.
The bread is always moist and the sour-sweet glaze on top is the perfect compliment to coconut banana goodness inside. So grab your bananas and let’s get baking!
INGREDIENTS:
2 Cups All-purpose Flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 of a stick) softened butter
2 eggs
1 to 1 1/2 cups smashed bananas (about 3 bananas)
1/4 cup yogurt (vanilla, plain, strawberry, whatever flavor)
3 Tbl apple juice or applesauce
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1 Tbl coconut to sprinkle on top of bread
Glaze:
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Appx 1 1/2 Tbl fresh lime or lemon juice (appx 1 lime; you may substitute store-bought lime or lemon juice if needed)
Often banana bread is made with overly ripe bananas. If they start to get too black before you’re ready to bake bread, just throw them in the fridge or freezer and it’ll buy you extra time. If you only have the fresh yellow/slightly green variety, go ahead and use those. My feeling with cooking and baking is to go with what you have in the house. Make it work for you.
First, mix the first 3 dry ingredients in the small bowl (the flour, baking soda, and salt) and set them aside.
Then gather your next ingredients…..
Mash up the bananas with a fork, like you’re making baby food and set them aside.
Crack two eggs and toss them in your mixer. If you don’t have a KitchenAid type of mixer, a hand-mixer or wisk will work too.
Next, add a 1/2 stick of real unsalted butter. I used to substitute margarine for butter because I didn’t think it made a difference but it does! Margarine has more water content and just doesn’t taste as good. So spend an extra buck for the real stuff.
If your butter isn’t “softened”, stick it in the microwave for 5 seconds, then turn it over and do another 5 seconds. But only microwave for very small increments. You don’t want the butter to melt!
ADD the SUGAR and beat everything on medium speed for about 1 minute.
Then add the rest of the ingredients…..the bananas,
the yogurt (use whatever kind you have in the house. I prefer vanilla but I’ve used strawberry before and it’s just fine),
the apple juice (or applesauce, whatever you have on-hand),
the vanilla (pretend mine says PURE vanilla and not imitation),
the coconut (something every kitchen should have in stock),
Get it all in there and mix it up until blended.
Then add the dry ingredients,
and mix it on low speed just until moist.
Grab your bread pan. I don’t like baking with non-stick pans because the breads and cookies tend to over-bake (even when the temperature is turned down a notch). I prefer standard aluminum and glass pans:
Cut a small rectangle of wax paper (or parchment paper) to fit in the bottom of your pan. This makes it easy to get the bread out of the pan once it’s baked. Then you just peel it off the bottom of the bread.
Spray the pan with cooking spray (or rub it with butter) and place the wax paper on the bottom:
Scrape the bottom of your mixing bowl with a spatula since Kitchenaid mixers never seem to get all the way to the bottom.
And pour the batter right into pan:
Finally, SPRINKLE THE TOP of the bread with 1 Tbl of COCONUT (sorry no picture), and put it in a 350 degree oven for appx 1 hour.
While the bread is cooking, prepare the glaze.
Squeeze the juice of 1 lime into a small bowl,
If you don’t have a fresh lime you can substitute store-bought lime or lemon juice, but the fresh stuff tastes better.
add 1/2 cup powdered sugar (or more if needed)
Mix it up until you have a slightly runny consistency:
When your bread is done, allow it to rest for 5 minutes on a rack (but don’t let it to cool completely)
Remove it from the pan, peel the wax paper off the bottom, and drizzle the glaze right over the warm bread. Get the glaze in all the groves and let it drip down the side (place a pan or plate under the rack to catch all the drips):
Make sure the kids ride their bikes and scooters around the table while you photograph, and that they’re excited to try your “banana cake”. The proper terminology will sucker them into sampling.
Slice it up,
And serve!
Then spread some butter on top, wrap it in foil,
And take an afternoon snack to dad at work.
Yum Yum!
