Banana bread with bay leaf & roasted lemon zest
Hi!
This is a recipe I have been really excited to share with you, but life - and various viruses - had other plans. But good things come to those who wait, right? And banana bread is always worth waiting for. There are as many and as varying banana bread recipes as there are bakers baking them, but this has become a favourite of mine, I think because the bay leaves and roasted lemon zest add a welcome brightness to the otherwise quite traditional loaf. I have made variations on this recipe over the years, but this is one I return to time and again. It is also the cake that disappears the fastest whenever my husband or sneaky kids are in the vicinity, my kids leaving a trail of uneaten walnuts behind.
Banana bread with bay leaf & roasted lemon zest
Makes 1 loaf
2 eggs
170g sugar
50g brown sugar
150g butter
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. roasted lemon zest*
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
125ml buttermilk
325g bananas, preferably brown with a few yellow spots
235g flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
100g walnuts
Line a 23x12cm (9x5”) loaf pan with parchment paper and preheat oven to 175C (350F).
Toast the walnuts for 10 minutes in the oven, then cool on a wire rack.
Mash the bananas - I like them a little chunky, but you do you! - and mix together with the eggs and buttermilk.
Brown the butter over low heat in a saucepan and pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, add the bay leaves and infuse for 20 minutes before discarding the leaves. Add sugar and brown sugar to the bowl and whisk until combined before adding the banana goop. Sieve together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and add to the bowl with the lemon zest and salt, gently fold the drys with a spatula until just combined.
Roughly crush the cooled walnuts in your hands, then sprinkle over the batter and fold in with a spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake until golden brown, around 50-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Cool the banana bread in the pan for 15 minutes, remove and cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing for prettiest slices. But honestly I couldn’t wait and ended up burning my tongue - I have no regrets, steaming hot banana bread is the best.
Wrap any leftovers in clingfilm and keep at room temperature for a few days and up to a week in the fridge.
Roasted lemon zest
6-8 lemons
Preheat the oven to 120C.
Peel the lemons, be careful ful to avoid as much of the bitter white pith underneath the thin, fragrant yellow zest and place in a roasting tray in a single layer. Roast the lemons for 15-20 minutes, until they start to turn a pale golden brown. Allow to cool then grind to a fine powder in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle.