This dependable banana bread is moist, gently spiced and ideal for lunchboxes or afternoon tea.
Makes: 1 loaf (10 slices) Prep: 15 minutes Bake: 50–60 minutes Estimated cost: R55–R75
Ingredients
- 3 ripe bananas, mashed
- 125 g butter, softened
- 180 ml sugar
- 2 eggs
- 5 ml vanilla essence
- 375 ml self-raising flour
- 2.5 ml salt
- 5 ml ground cinnamon
- 60 ml milk
Method
- Heat oven to 180°C and line a medium loaf tin.
- Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then add vanilla and banana.
- Fold in flour, salt and cinnamon, adding milk to make a thick dropping batter.
- Bake for 50–60 minutes until a skewer comes out clean. Cool before slicing.
Choose the bananas and tin
Use very ripe bananas with brown-speckled skins. A medium loaf tin is approximately 22 x 12 cm; line its base and long sides so the loaf lifts out cleanly. Fill no more than about two-thirds full. If your tin is smaller, bake excess batter as muffins and check those earlier.
Avoid a heavy or gummy loaf
Cream the softened butter and sugar until visibly lighter. Once flour is added, fold only until no dry streaks remain. Banana size changes the moisture level, so add the milk gradually: the batter should drop slowly from a spoon. Use the centre rack and check with a skewer in the middle; wet batter means it needs longer. Loosely cover with foil if the top browns too early.
Cooling and storing
Rest in the tin for ten minutes, then lift onto a rack and cool before slicing. Wrapping a hot loaf traps steam and softens the crust. Keep airtight in a cool place for up to two days, or freeze individual cooled slices with paper between them. Thaw a slice as needed and toast lightly to refresh it.
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Cost is an estimate and varies by store and location.