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