No, I'm not growing bananas. We just seem to have so many! I'm not a banana fan and Jamie will only eat them in a small window of ripeness, so when we buy bananas, and we do - as much as I try to be a locavore, the local apples only last so long - we normally end up with a few brown ones. I think I've tried at least 20 banana bread recipes and this is the one I've settled on as the best. It's based on a recipe in The Art & Soul of Baking by Cindy Mushet, with just a couple of my own tweaks.
Marbled Banana Bread1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup mashed banana from 2 or 3 very ripe bananas
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs at room temp
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 350. Lightly butter a 9" x 5" loaf pan then line with parchment.
Combine the mashed banana, yogurt and vanilla in a medium bowl. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy. Slowly add the eggs, about a tablespoon at a time, scraping down the bowl from time to time.
Sift together the cake flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix in the salt. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated, scrape down the bowl, then mix in half of the banana mixture. Repeat with the remaining flour and banana mixtures, ending with flour.
Transfer half of the batter into the bowl with the cocoa paste, stirring until well blended.
Spoon the batter into the loaf pan, alternating between scoops of the plain and chocolate batters, then use a spoon to gently turn the batter, marbleizing it.
Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until firm and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then remove and cool completely on a rack.
* like the tape clipart I used? find it here!
