Made with buckwheat, banana and chocolate, banana bread has never tasted so sophisticated
“This grown-up version of the classic banana bread with chocolate and tones of coffee is a true family favourite. It has a wonderfully moist texture and is pleasantly decadent without being too sweet (it is called bread, after all).
We sometimes add a hidden layer of either dark chocolate or walnuts to the middle of the cake. Baked goods are always best enjoyed warm from the oven but this bread tastes really good also on day 2 and 3.”
Ingredients
• 2 free-range eggs
• 70g coconut sugar or 70g turbinado sugar
• 3 ripe bananas, peeled
• 120ml mildly flavoured rapeseed oil
•1 tablespoon coffee, (optional)
• 100g almond flour
• 120g buckwheat flour
• 5 tablespoons cacao powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 pinch sea salt
For the filling:
• 50g good-quality dark chocolate, (70 per cent cocoa solids) or 50g walnuts, (optional)
For the topping:
• 1 ripe banana, peeled
• oil, for brushing
• 1 teaspoon roasted coffee beans, coarsely ground (optional)
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 180°c and line a 10 x 25 cm loaf tin with parchment paper.
2 Crack the eggs into a food processor, add the sugar, break in the bananas, the oil and the coffee and mix on high speed until smooth.
3 Add the flours and the rest of the loaf ingredients and pulse until just combined, making sure not to over-mix or the loaf will be compact.
4 Pour half of the batter into the tin, roughly chop the chocolate or walnuts (if using), scatter on top and cover with the rest of the batter.
5 Cut the banana in half lengthwise, arrange the two halves cut side up on top of the batter, brush the bananas with a little oil and sprinkle coffee beans on top.
6 Bake for about 35 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean.
7 Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly in the tin before devouring it while still warm.
8 Store the loaf at room temperature in an airtight container and it will keep for 3–5 days. Alternatively, pre-slice and freeze it (and then toast the frozen slices).
Tips:
• For a nut-free version, replace the almond flour with oat flour and skip the walnuts in the middle.
• If you don’t have a food processor, crack the eggs into a medium size mixing-bowl and whisk together with the sugar. Mash the bananas with a fork, and add to the bowl along with the oil.
• Whisk until smooth. Then add the rest of the loaf ingredients and stir until just combined.
Recipes courtesy of David Frenkiel and Luise Vindahl Andersen.
Extracted from Green Kitchen At Home. © Hardie Grant
