This is our Easy banana loaf recipe. It is the easiest, most delicious banana loaf you will make. The Mind over Money Matters way is to make the recipe really easy to follow. We also have tried and tested variations and more info. Spend less than £3 on ingredients and you’ll have enough to make 2 loaves with a couple of eggs and some flour and sugar left over. Excellent.
Equipment you will need
- Mixing bowl and a small bowl or a little jug for whisking the eggs in, and a whisk
- Loaf tin and tin liners – you can get these from the pound shop £1 for a pack of 20, you could just butter the loaf tin and use baking paper but it’s much easier, and less mess if you use the liners.
- Wooden spoon and spatula – the spatula is good for getting all the mixture into the tin but you can use the wooden spoon and lick the bowl instead – yum
- A cocktail stick or a skewer
Ingredients – Get them all measured out and ready in bowls
- 140g butter – take the butter out of the fridge at least 3 hours before you are going to use it
- 140g caster sugar
- 140g self raising flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder – when you’ve measured it put it straight in with the flour
- 2 eggs – whisk these up
- 2 very ripe bananas – if they are still yellow you wont get as much banana flavour
Method
- Turn the oven on to 180C or 160C fan or gas mark 4
- Pop a liner in the loaf tin or line it with the baking paper
- Put the softened butter in the mixing bowl and mix around a bit with the wooden spoon, this is to get any lumpy chunks out before you add the sugar.
- Add the sugar and cream together with the wooden spoon until it’s light and fluffy. If the butter was already soft this will only take about 5 mins. Make sure it’s all mixed in together and that there are no little butter lumps.
- Give the eggs another short whisk and add to the mixture, also add some of the flour, about a quarter of it.
- Slowly mix together – stirring not beating, you don’t want scrambled eggy bread
- Add the rest of the flour and fold in (mixing like before is fine)
- Mash up the bananas with a fork. I like to leave them a little chunky, not total mush.
- Add bananas to the mixture and stir in
- Pour into the tin, now it rises in the middle so make sure you push it into the corners leaving a small dip in the middle.
- Pop in the oven for 25 mins. Set your timer.
- Lick the spoon and the bowl, feel free to share with whoever is around. This part takes me back to helping Mum bake when I was a kid. Lovely memories.
- Wash up and put everything away like it never happened and get the wire rack ready
- Take the loaf out and put the cocktail stick or skewer in, if it comes out clean the loaf is ready, otherwise put it back in. It should be nice and golden on top. Mine usually goes back in for another 5 mins.
- Cool in the tin for 10 mins – set the timer again
- Take the loaf out and put on a wire rack.
You’ll be able to eat this after 10 minutes, it’s equally as delicious though the next day if you wrap it in baking paper once its cooled.
Variations
- We have added chopped dates (about 6 chopped up into 5p sizes) they sink to the bottom a bit but add a delicious sweetness.
- Adding chocolate – anything is worth a try here, we have swirled in grated green and blacks dark chocolate (as it’s pretty inedible on its own). Also chopped up a cadbuys caramel and added that before baking – this made it a bit sweet for me but it was a hit with the boys.
- Adding vanilla essence – we added a teaspoon but it didn’t make any difference at all.
- We tried adding 2 tablespoons dessicated coconut – gave no coconut flavour at all but a nasty texture, avoid this one.
- Also chopped walnuts about 20g mixed in. I don’t like nuts so didn’t try it but Taz gave it the thumbs up and said more walnuts would have been fine too.
(Don’t worry if you add the baking powder to the sugar instead of the flour, scoop what you can out and add to the flour. Done that. It still works out perfectly.)
We tried to make this Vegan but the results were pretty inedible. We will be trying out Vegan banana loaf recipes and will add the best one here with a link as soon as we find a worthy one.
So there you go, hope you enjoyed the Mind over Money Matters way Easy Banana Loaf. Give it a try and let me know how you got on. Share the recipe on twitter and facebook and please add your cake photos and twists to the comments below. I’d love to see them. Many thanks, Tracy
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