The inspiration to bake a banana bread always seems to strike when a bunch of bananas are brown, black, and molting on your counter. Timing also has to be right; just when the bananas are perfect! Now do I have everything in my cabinets to create this masterpiece? Yes! I have created an amazingly moist, dense bread with the richness of banana and pumpkin with a hint of espresso and rye flour. Adding rye flour leads to a deep earthiness and nuttiness that works wonderfully in this bread.
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon cardamon
1 stick butter
1 cup (packed) brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 eggs
2 teaspoons espresso powder
1/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
Sift together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamon.
Working with a stand mixer, beat butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened. Add sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. At this point add the bananas, pumpkin, vanilla, and espresso powder.
Reduce the speed and add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until additions disappear into the batter. Add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated.
Bake for 55-65 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Transfer to a cooling rack and cool for 20 minutes before running a knife around the sides and unmolding it.
Thanks for stopping by!
Eileen