Scrummy Moist Classic Banana Walnut Loaf

Although they’re made with the same ingredients, they are known as both banana breads and banana cakes. Well, this particular fella, I’m calling him a banana walnut loaf — only because he’s all you need for breakfast!

Make a banana walnut loaf today and you’ll enjoy eating it the next two days for breakfast. Wash it all down with milk or coffee, and a few extra walnuts if you wish, and you’re all set for a gruelling day.

Use ripe bananas — ones that have a lot of black speckles and are soft to the touch. If you’ve run out of cornflour, you can use plain ol’ all-purpose flour. And if you have muscovado sugar or jaggery (made from cane sugar) lying about the house, you can use that instead of brown sugar. I’ve made it with all three — and they all taste fantastic, albeit slightly different with each sugar. Banana marries well with dark sugar and tastes great with caramel sauce. Try it!

Back to our dear breakfast wonderkid: the spectacularly scrummy banana walnut loaf — made for an instant surge of energy that last until your next meal. This golden lad is so soft and moist inside and smells like a toffee dipped in cinnamon. Give this easy peasy recipe a try, won’t you? And do let me know how that goes with the hashtag #notjustspice.

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Scrummy Moist Classic Banana Walnut Loaf

This scrummy and moist classic banana walnut loaf is so soft inside and smells like a toffee dipped in cinnamon. Ah, heaven! Make this golden powerhouse tonight, and you’ll enjoy eating it the next two days for breakfast. The surge of energy it provides will last until your next meal.

Ingredients

• 3 ripe bananas
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornflour cornstarch
• 1/2 cup room temperature unsalted butter plus some extra butter for preparing the pan
• 3/4 cup toasted walnut pieces
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup curds or 3 tablespoons yoghurt and 1 tablespoon water
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 176ºC (350ºF), and brush a 9”x4” or a 9”x5” pan with some butter.

2. Sift the flours, cinnamon and nutmeg powders, baking soda and salt, and set aside.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until it turns lighter and fluffy.
4. Once the oven is hot, spread your walnut pieces on a baking tray and put them in the oven for 3-4 minutes. Take them out right after and transfer them onto a cool tray.
5. Whisk the eggs separately in a small bowl until frothy.
6. Mash the bananas with a fork (you should have with you about a cup of mashed bananas).
7. Now, add the beaten eggs, mashed bananas, vanilla and curds to the creamed butter and sugar, until well incorporated.
8. With a wooden spatula, fold in the flour mixture and the nuts until just combined.
9. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes on until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
10. Take out the loaf pan and let it cool completely on a wire rack before you take out the loaf and serve.

11. Serving: The more you allow the loaf to rest, and the later you eat it, the better it tastes! It tastes even better when served the next day.

Notes

Use your ripe bananas, the ones that are heavily speckled. 

Equipment: A 23 cm by 10 cm (9”x4”) or 23 cm by 13 cm (9”x5”) loaf pan. 

Storage: I suggest you wrap it in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. It lasts for a good 3-4 days and longer if you store in the freezer.

Related Links:

Muscovado (Wikipedia)

Jaggery (Wikipedia)

What’s the Difference? Muscovado, Demerara, & Turbinado (The Kitchn)

Why gur is not glamorous for Indians (The Economic Times)