It’s hard to imagine that a fragrant loaf of banana bread requires only four steps, but that’s exactly how it is. Here’s how to make the classic – all you need to do is combine everything, and pop it into the oven for some moist and sweet goodness!
Ingredients
- 125 g butter, softened
- 1 cup (220 g) firmly packed brown sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1½ cup (400 g) mashed ripe banana
- ¼ cup (60 ml) maple syrup
- 1⅔ cup (250 g) plain all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt flakes
- ½ cup (25 g) coarsely chopped roasted walnuts
Steps
Preheat oven to 160 C. Grease a 13 cm x 26 cm, 2 litre (8 cup) loaf pan; line with baking paper.
Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until paler and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until just combined, then mashed banana and maple syrup.
Sift over flour, baking powder, soda, cinnamon and salt. Add walnuts; stir with a large spoon until combined. Spoon into pan; smooth the surface.
Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave in pan for 10 mins before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.
To make Meghan Markle‘s famous chocolate ginger banana bread, stir through 2 tablespoons of finely chopped crystallised ginger (or 1 to 2 teaspoons of ground ginger) and 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips into the batter before baking.
Photo: bauersyndication.com.au / Additional reporting: Cherrie Lim