Very moist banana bread

Homemade banana bread recipe

The best banana bread I’ve had so far! It has an unparalleled moistness. What I love about this banana cake is that you don’t need a mixer or beater to make it. All you need is a fork and a small whisk, nothing more, to make this recipe. You don’t need much to make a delicious, super moist banana bread. No more throwing away those black-spotted bananas that no one wants to eat.

It’s a waste-free recipe.

The Banana bread, or banana bread in French, is a cake made from very ripe bananas. It’s a comforting cake, soft and moist, that will change your snack time. This cake has everything to please: easy, delicious, and economical.

the best american banana bread recipe

Origin of banana bread

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This banana bread cake originated in the United States in the 1930s. Its popularity has grown steadily over the years, spreading worldwide. It has become so beloved that it even has its own dedicated celebration day on February 23rd.

Tips and tricks

It shouldn’t even be a question, making this cake is child’s play. It’s like the yogurt cake, you mix all the ingredients and that’s it.

1. You can reverse the order of adding ingredients and it will have no impact on the result, always perfect. Its baking is very straightforward, whether in a gas or electric oven, using convection or conventional heat, you’ll get a moist and successful cake.

2. If you don’t have very ripe bananas with black spots, that’s okay. You can slice the bananas and bake them at 150°C ( 300°F ) until they soften. Then mash them well with a fork. Alternatively, you can sauté them in a pan with a spoonful of butter and a bit of cinnamon, then mash them.

3. You can use butter or oil depending on what you have on hand. However, with oil, the cake rises a little more. The texture with either butter or oil is the same—very soft, slightly moist. If you prefer the taste of butter, choose that, although personally, I didn’t notice a difference.

The banana flavor stands out above everything else. What I recommend is trying both and seeing if you notice a difference. Then you can choose the one you prefer.

easy banana bread

Details on ingredients

There are no very particular ingredients, so I will only mention those with a slight specificity.

Bananas: You’ll need bananas speckled with black spots. When they are ripe, they bring out more flavor.

Mixture of white sugar and brown sugar: Brown sugar adds flavor to banana bread. In fact, I use it for tiramisu as well, and you can really taste the difference compared to white sugar. You can also use only one or the other.

Buttermilk or yoghurt : You can use fermented milk, known as buttermilk in English-speaking countries. In Europe, it’s also found under the name “lait Ribot”. The buttermilk adds a lot of mellowness.

However, as I prefer to work with products we all have in the fridge, I use yoghurt with a spoonful of vinegar to give it that characteristic taste of fermented milk. With yoghurt or buttermilk, the result is the same.

ultra soft banana bread recipe

Variations on this cake

You can also

Chocolate banana bread, replacing 50 g (1.8 oz ) of flour with unsweetened cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate.
Chocolate chip banana bread, by adding a handful of chocolate chips to the batter; the amount depends on how much you prefer.
Oatmeal banana bread, You can replace 50 g (1.8 oz )of flour with oatmeal flakes.
Whole wheat banana bread, You can replace a small amount of flour with whole wheat flour.

You can replace the nuts or leave them out altogether. Replace the nuts with pecans, toasted hazelnuts, or pistachios.

soft and easy american banana bread

Storage banana bread

This cake stays moist for a very long time. Wrap it in aluminum foil and place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator if you keep it for more than a week; otherwise, keep it in the kitchen.

You can slice it, wrap it, and then place it in a freezer bag to freeze for several months. I freeze it for up to 3 months, and it stays perfect.

Super soft banana bread

For the top of the cake, you can leave it plain, but you can also decorate it before baking with a banana cut lengthwise. Place the banana halves along the length of the cake. You can also decorate it with walnut halves. After baking, you can pour royal icing on top if you like, similar to the gâteau nantais.

The recipe on video

How to make banana bread?

Find the detailed recipe with ingredients and a printable version at the end of the article.

Start by preheating the oven.

Grease and line the loaf pan. Melt the butter and mix the yogurt with the vinegar. If you’re using buttermilk, the vinegar is not necessary.

Mash the bananas with a fork.

easy banana bread recipe

Whisk the sugar with the eggs until just blended (no need to double in volume).

Add the melted butter or oil and mix. Add the yogurt, salt, cinnamon, and mashed bananas. Mix well.

Then, gently fold in the sifted flour and baking powder. Mix lightly without overbeating. Add the chopped nuts and fold in using a spatula.

How to prepare a very moist banana bread

Preparation of banana bread

Pour into the loaf pan and smooth the top. If you want to decorate with banana, cut a banana lengthwise and place the two slices, cut side down, on top of the batter.

the best recipe for homemade banana bread

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the banana bread comes out clean.

Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Super-easy banana bread

I hope you’ll enjoy this easy recipe for the famous American banana bread and feel inspired to give it a try.