Banana bread or plantain bread

If there is a leftover sponge cake that succeeds like few others, is the Banana bread or banana bread, which is neither bread nor made with baker's yeast, but it does contain very ripe bananas. This banana cake it turns out delicious and very moist, it keeps wonderfully for several days (if you're lucky enough that they don't devour it at home) and it's ideal for using up those bananas that are so ripe they look like jam.

Its flavor is sweet and the banana stands out intensely, but without overpowering everything. Plus, the aroma it leaves in the kitchen while baking is truly wonderful. There’s no better air freshener! This time you’ll see that we do not add eggs; the bananas will do their job and, since we use baking soda and baking powder, we won't lose the fluffiness the egg would provide.

For this type of sponge cake, use a ceramic mold such as the rectangular ceramic bread baker Emily Henry helps retain moisture, since cooking is gentler and more even. Heat is transferred more slowly, which results in a banana bread with a softer, moister texture, a banana bread wonderful, which usually disappears in no time!

Here is the recipe for the Banana bread or banana bread perfect for Sunday breakfast or an afternoon snack any day of the week. I hope you like it!

Emile Henry rectangular ceramic bread baker

Ingredients

• 170 g all-purpose wheat flour
• 85 g of almond flour
• 125 g of unsalted butter
• 140 g of brown sugar
• 115 g of maple syrup or mild honey
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 3 ripe bananas + 1 for decoration
• 1 heaping teaspoon of cinnamon
• 1 level teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 packet of baking powder ("Royal"-type yeast)

Production

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C.
2. Grease the Emile Henry rectangular ceramic bread baker. It is ideal for baking the banana bread.
3. Put the wheat flour, almond flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. Mix the dry ingredients well and set aside.
4. Melt the butter in a double boiler or in the microwave (on low power and in 20-30 second intervals).
5. When the butter has melted, mix it well with the brown sugar, the maple syrup (or honey), and the vanilla extract. Set aside.
6. Using a fork, mash the 3 ripe bananas until they have a purée-like texture, and add them to the previous mixture with the butter, stirring well so that all the ingredients are fully combined.
7. Finally, add the dry ingredients. It's best to do this little by little, stirring each time you add some until fully incorporated. This way, you avoid lumps forming and the mixture is easier to work with.
8. Once well combined, pour the batter into the pan and gently smooth it with a spatula.
9. Cut the remaining banana in half (from top to bottom) and place the two halves on the batter to decorate the cake.
10. Lower the temperature to 170 °C and bake uncovered for 1 hour.
11. Once the time has elapsed, turn off the oven and cover the pan. Let it rest in the hot oven for quite a while, until the temperature drops considerably.
12. Remove the pan from the oven and let the sponge cake cool on a wire rack before unmolding or tasting.
13. Serve as is or with a little whipped cream. You'll see what a delight!

Suggestions

• As stated in the recipe, you can substitute maple syrup with honey. Look for a mild honey so its flavor doesn't dominate too much.
• You can use only wheat flour, or add some rye or oat flour, which give this sponge cake a very rich flavor.
• For a slightly lighter version, you can cut the amount of sugar in half, use part coconut sugar, or use dates.
• You can add chopped walnuts or hazelnuts. Adding nuts to this cake is a great idea.