Description
This banana bread recipe uses neutral oil instead of butter, resulting in an incredibly moist crumb and a lighter texture. The unique cardamom-rose swirl adds a sophisticated flavor and beautiful visual appeal to the loaf.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed (about 300g)
- 100g granulated sugar
- 100g packed light brown sugar
- 120ml (1/2 cup) vegetable oil, neutral (canola or sunflower)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 5ml (1 teaspoon) vanilla extract, alcohol-free
- 250g all-purpose flour
- 5g baking soda
- 3g fine sea salt
- 10g ground cardamom
- 15ml rose water
- 2g beetroot powder (optional, for color)
Instructions
- Prepare Pan and Oven: Preheat oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a 9×5 inch loaf pan, or line it with parchment paper.
- Combine Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly. Whisk in the granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, and fine sea salt.
- Fold Batter Together: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix, as a few flour lumps are acceptable.
- Make Cardamom Swirl Batter: Transfer about 1 cup (250ml) of the plain batter to a small bowl. Stir in the ground cardamom, rose water, and beetroot powder until uniformly combined.
- Layer and Swirl: Pour half of the plain batter into the prepared pan. Dollop spoonfuls of the cardamom swirl batter over the plain batter layer. Top with the remaining plain batter. Gently swirl with a knife in S-motions, taking care not to overmix.
- Bake Loaf: Bake for 55-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. If the top browns too quickly, tent loosely with aluminum foil for the remaining bake time.
- Cool Completely: Allow the banana bread to cool in the pan for 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.
Notes
To achieve a moist loaf, do not overmix the batter. Use very ripe bananas for maximum sweetness and moisture. For clean slices, ensure the loaf cools thoroughly before cutting.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 275 kcal
- Sugar: 20g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 38g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 4g
- Cholesterol: 35mg
Keywords: Banana bread, quick bread, cardamom, rose water, no butter, baking, dessert, snack, brunch