BANANA LOAF

Banana loaves often end up under baked in the middle and burned on the outside. But this is a light, spongy banana loaf. I will be making no other banana loaf from this point on. Call it a cake if you want, this is the loaf for me. I used a medium sized loaf pan. For a full sized loaf pan increase the ingredients by 50%. This is very simple except for the eggs. The solution is to use five medium eggs. If you increase the batter, the baking time will have to be increased as well. Don’t flavour this loaf with vanilla. It will interfere with the banana flavour and the whole point in a banana loaf are the bananas.

BANANA LOAF
1-1/2 cups flour
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 very soft and ripe bananas
scant 3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil
3 large eggs

• Preheat oven to 375F.
• Line a medium sized loaf pan with parchment paper.
• In a bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and the baking soda. Set it aside.
• Beat the bananas, sugar and the oil on the highest speed for 2 minutes.
• One by one add the eggs beating for a whole minute after each addition.
• Beat the batter for 4 minutes longer.
• Reduce the speed to medium and gradually beat in the flour until just combined. Do not overbeat after the flour is added to the mix. The consistency should be of a cake batter. If it is runny, you either added the eggs too quickly or overbeaten the batter after the flour was added.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Run a knife through the batter and tap the pan on the counter a few times to remove the air bubbles. Some air bubbles may remain, but don’t bang it down too hard, you don’t want to deflate the batter.
• Bake the loaf for 45 minutes or longer; until the cake tester inserted comes out clean. It will crack a little on the top.
• Let the loaf cool down a bit and then remove it from the pan.
• Discard the paper liner and let the loaf cool down completely on a wire rack before slicing.