South African Banana Bread

We all think that we have the best banana bread recipe in the world… until we taste someone’s new take on it. Banana bread is a firm South African favourite and whether you are living deeply ensconced in South African society, or as an expat in a new and exciting country; at some point the banana bread hankering will come for you! While you can undoubtedly find banana bread for sale at a variety of stores across the world, the best type of banana bread is a home-made banana bread. So, today we are going to share with you 2 variations of the banana bread recipe as an extra-special treat!

 

Banana Bread Recipe

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQITSaXAmE8

 

Cinnamon Swirl Vanilla Glaze Banana Bread Delight

This is quite a different take on South African banana bread and it’s also a mouthful, isn’t it? The result will be an absolute mouthful of deliciousness! Even though it’s a whopper of a recipe title, you will find this banana bread recipe one of the easiest to make. You will simply whizz through the recipe below.

 

What you need for the bread:

• 2 cups of white whole wheat flour (you can also use all-purpose flour if you prefer)
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons of softened butter (unsalted)
• 2 large eggs
• 1 and 1/2 cups ripe banana mashed (use 3 to 4 bananas)
• 1/3 cup of vanilla yoghurt (you can also use Greek yoghurt)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

What you need for cinnamon swirl:

• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

 

What you need for the vanilla glaze:

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup of sifted confectioners sugar
• 1 tablespoon of heavy cream (you can also use milk if you prefer)

 

What to do:

Now that you have the ingredients, here’s what to do with all of it.

• To get your oven to the right temperature, preheat it to 180 degrees Celsius.
• Grease a bread loaf tin (22cm x 12cm tin is a good size to aim for)
• Place the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl and mix well.
• In another bowl, use a stand or hand held mixer to beat the butter and brown sugar into a smooth mixture. This should take around 1 minute.
• Add the eggs one by one to the butter and sugar mixture, beating after each egg is added to ensure everything is well mixed.
• Stir the mashed banana, vanilla, and yoghurt into the butter, sugar, and egg mixture with a wooden spoon, while slowly adding the rest of the dry ingredients to form a thick batter. Be careful not to over mix batter.
• Now, spoon only half of the thick batter into your loaf tin and sprinkle generously with the ingredients for the cinnamon swirl (sugar and cinnamon).
• Spoon the rest of the thick batter on top and bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the loaf is cooked-through, but moist.
• Leave the loaf to cool for 15 minutes inside the tin and then remove from the tin and leave to finish cooling on a wire cooling rack.

 

While your already delicious-smelling banana bread loaf cools off, you can set to work making the delectable glaze. To do this, follow these instructions.

• In a bowl, combine the vanilla, sugar, and heavy cream (or milk).
• Add some powdered sugar until the mixture reaches the right thickness (it should be the correct consistency to drizzle).
• Now, drizzle the mixture all over the banana bread loaf.

Some say that banana bread is best enjoyed when the loaf’s ingredients have settled, which can take around 2 days. It’s well worth a try…if you can wait that long to sink your teeth into this delicious treat!

Now let’s try something a little different… a banana recipe with a kick! This one’s for the adults…

 

Bourbon Infused Banana Bread

This banana bread recipe offers you the best of both worlds…a sniff of alcohol and a mouthful of delectable awesomeness. Let’s jump right in!

 

What you need:

• 2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon of baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1 cup of mashed banana (choose very ripe bananas)
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 3/4 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• 1/2 a cup of your choice of bourbon

 

What to do:

• First, preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius and grease a bread loaf tin (22cm x 12cm tin is roughly the size that you need).
• Whisk the baking soda, salt, baking powder and all purpose flour together in a bowl.
• In a separate bowl, place your mashed banana and add in the oil, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract. Whisk this mixture well until all the ingredients are well-combined.
• Add half of the flour mixture and stir it in. Then, add the bourbon while stirring slowly. Continue to add the balance of the flour mixture and stir until all the flour is wet. Do not over-stir this mixture.
• Pour the ingredients into a bread tin and bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until the loaf is cooked through but still moist.
• Let the loaf cool for around 15 minutes in the loaf tin and then turn it out onto a wire cooling rack so that it can cool completely.

Banana bread can be stored for 2 days in a sealed container at room temperature and for around 7 days in a sealed container in the fridge. It goes best with a cup of tea or coffee, but many people pair it with a variety of cold drinks too.

 

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