You can’t go wrong with a good banana loaf. This is the simplest banana bread recipe I’ve come across, with the classic equal ratio of butter, sugar and flour plus two eggs. Perfect as a teatime treat, or an easy weeknight pud with a handful of berries. It’s super adaptable, too – I’ve included a tasty swirl of peanut butter here, but you could try throwing some chocolate chips into the mixture before cooking, or studding the top with some pecans; or how about drizzling with an icing sugar and water glaze once it’s cooled and decorating with some banana chips or, my current favourite (a gift from Canada!): maple sugar chunks. Serve with a cuppa.
Banana and peanut butter loaf
Ingredients
- 140g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
- 140g golden caster sugar
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 140g self raising flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 heaped teaspoons smooth peanut butter
- Optional: 1 tsp icing sugar
Directions
- Preheat oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.
- Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin.
- In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add the eggs with a little flour to help stop the mixture from separating, and mix well.
- Fold in the remaining flour, along with the baking powder, mashed bananas and vanilla extract.
- Transfer the mixture into the lined tin, then dollop the peanut butter across the top of the mixture. Using the blunt edge of a knife, swirl through the batter until you have achieved a pretty marbled effect.
- Put in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes; the top should be nice and golden.
- Remove from the oven and cool in the tin for a few minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving with an optional drift of icing sugar.
the secret spatula 