Moist Banana Bread with a Steady Rise

Moist Banana Bread with a Steady Rise keeps the shopping list focused on all-purpose flour, baking soda, and baking powder. It serves 8 slices.

Count on 30 minutes of prep, 50 minutes of cooking, about 1 hour from the first measurement to the plate.

Ingredients Method

What goes in the bowl

For the Banana Bread

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ lemon zested, ~½ teaspoon
• ¾ cup bananas mashed & ripe, I used 2 bananas totaling 1 cup
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• ½ cup chopped walnuts or macadamia nuts, optional

Honey Ricotta Spread

• ¼ cup ricotta part-skim or whole
• 1 tbsp honey or more to taste

How the cooking goes

Make the banana bread

1. Warm the oven to 350°F. Oil and lightly flour a regular loaf pan.
2. Beat together flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a small mixing bowl. Keep it to one side.
3. Mash the bananas in a small mixing bowl and keep it to one side.
4. Grate the peel of half a lemon and combine with the sugar to allow the oils to begin to infuse with the sugar.
5. Using a wooden spoon, mash the butter around the mixing bowl until it becomes malleable. Then, gradually add in the sugar while continuing to mash it into the butter with the back of a wooden spoon.
6. Whip in the eggs (by hand with a wooden spoon), one at a time, then add the vanilla and mashed bananas.
7. Mix in the dry ingredients alternating with the sour cream. You alternate in three additions, ending with sour cream.
8. Mix in nuts, being careful not to overmix.
9. Tip the batter into the prepared loaf pan or two mini pans and bake in a preheated oven until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out with only a few clinging crumbs. The large loaf should take 45 minutes to 1 hour, while the smaller ones will take 25–35 minutes. Let it cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then remove it to cool until it is no longer warm on a rack.

Honey Ricotta Spread

1. Beat together the honey and ricotta. For a completely smooth spread, pulse in a food processor or use a handheld immersion blender. You didn’t blend it for the photos, and it was just as delicious.

After it comes off the heat

Wait until the loaf is cool before slicing. Wrap it at room temperature, and freeze slices you will not eat in a couple of days.

If you want another plate from Quick breads, open Brown Butter Rum Raisin Banana Bread with a Steady Rise and Vegan Chocolate Chip Banana Bread with a Steady Rise.