COCOA BANANA BREAD
MAKES 1 LOAF
The banana bread can be made 5 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and kept at room temperature. Note: this bread will sink slightly from the weight of the banana on top – don’t worry, that’s okay. If that gives you anxiety, skip the banana on top.
Non-stick cooking spray, for the pan
1/ 2 cup (110g) demerara sugar 11/ 2 cups (225g) plain flour 1/ 2 cup (50g) unsweetened cocoa powder 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp kosher salt or sea salt 85g unsalted butter, at room temperature 1/ 3 cup (75g) raw sugar 1/4 cup (60g) lightly packed light-brown sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 large egg 5 extremely ripe bananas, 4 coarsely mashed and 1 sliced lengthwise 1/ 2 cup (125g) mascarpone, full-fat sour cream or full-fat yoghurt
1. Preheat the oven to 175°C. Spray a 1.5L loaf pan with non-stick spray. Sugar the inside of the pan with 1/4 cup of the demerara sugar (or regular sugar if you don’t have demerara), tapping out any excess. 2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together; set aside. 3. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, raw sugar, light-brown sugar and vanilla on high speed until the mixture is super light and fluffy, 3-5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Beat until well combined and the mixture returns to that previously light, fluffy state, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add dry ingredients and beat just to blend. Using a spatula, fold in the mashed bananas, followed by the mascarpone, mixing just to blend. 4. Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Place the banana halves, cut-side up, on top of the batter. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup demerara sugar and bake until the sides start to pull away and the cake is baked through in the centre (it’s a very dense, moist cake, but it should still spring back slightly when pressed in the centre), 90-100 minutes. 5. Let cool completely before slicing.
Recipes reprinted from DINING IN. Copyright © 2017 by Alison Roman. Photography copyright © 2017 by Michael Graydon and Nikole Herriot. Published by Clarkson Potter/Publishers, an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC.