This classic banana bread gets an extra hit of flavour from the addition of spiced rum. If you prefer not to use rum, substitute orange juice—the bread will be just as dee-lish.
MAKES: one 9-x 5-inch loaf
PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: about 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- ½ tsp fine sea salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 cups peeled and mashed overripe bananas (see sidebar)
- 3 Tbsp spiced dark rum
- 3 Tbsp sour cream (14%)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease a 9-x 5-inch loaf pan and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.
- In a separate large bowl and using a spatula or wooden spoon, cream the butter and both sugars until smooth and creamy.
- Add the eggs and stir to combine. Stir in the bananas, rum, sour cream and vanilla extract. Mix until thoroughly combined.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the sugar mixture and stir until the flour is just moistened. Fold in the remaining flour until the flour is just moistened and combined with the batter. Do not overmix, or the loaf will be tough.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean, about 1 hour.
- Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the loaf from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack. (The bread can be stored at room temperature, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days.)
BAKING DAY SECRETS:
- Overripe, almost black bananas give banana bread the best, most intense flavour. If you don’t have any overripe bananas on hand, bake yellow ones on a parchment-lined baking sheet in a 300ºF oven until the skins turn black, 30 to 40 minutes.
