BANANA BREAD WITH PEANUT BUTTER CREAM
I have such a soft place in my heart for banana bread, anything with bananas really. I like to roast my bananas in the oven for 10 minutes in a 325 degree oven before adding them to the batter. Roasting the bananas helps to caramelize the natural sugars, enhancing the flavor and texture. The peanut butter cream is the perfect topping along with some seedy granola for crunch
ingredients
For the Banana Bread
340 grams (about 2 cups) all purpose flour
8 grams (about 2 teaspoons) baking powder
2 grams (1 teaspoon) ground cinnamon
Pinch ground cloves (optional)
½ teaspoon salt
113 grams (1 stick) butter, softened to room temperature
135 grams (⅔ cup) light brown sugar
2 eggs
320 grams (about 4) bananas, roasted, peeled and mashed
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out
For the Peanut Butter Cream
113 grams (4 ounces) cream cheese, softened
240 grams (1 cup) whipped cream*
64 grams (2 tablespoons) creamy peanut butter, or any nut butter of choice**
30 grams (1/4 cup) powdered sugar, sifted
Makes 1 loaf
First make the banana bread by mixing the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl.
In the bowl of a countertop mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream (beat) together the butter and sugar mixture until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes on medium speed.
Add the eggs, mashed bananas, and vanilla seeds to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix until combined. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix on low speed until just combined, about 30 seconds.
Pour batter into a prepared 9x5 loaf pan and bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let bread cool on a wire rack before slicing.
To make the peanut butter cream, add softened cream cheese, whipped cream, and peanut butter to a bowl of a countertop mixer with the whisk attachment and mix until smooth, about 1-2 minutes on medium speed. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Slather it on your banana bread and top with seedy granola for a crunch.
*I highly encourage you to make your own whip cream at home. Its so easy and incomparable to that store bought stuff. If you do buy store bought make sure its a good quality.
**You can use any nut butter here. I personally love using hazelnut butter from Georgia Grinders.
