With so many banana bread recipes online, it can be hard to know which one will result in the perfect loaf.
While baking a banana loaf may seem simple, it can burn very easily without being cooked in the middle.
Mary’s BBC recipe notes said: “Mary Berry’s banana bread recipe is small, but perfectly formed and loaded with chocolate chips.
“You can double this classic loaf recipe if you have lots of bananas to use up.”
The loaf serves six to eight people and is ready from start to finish in under two hours.
Ingredients:
One ripe banana
One tablespoon of milk
50g of soft butter or baking spread
75g plain flour
75g caster sugar
Half a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
Half a teaspoon of baking powder
One free-range egg
50g dark chocolate chips (optional)
Method:
Start by preheating the oven to 160C or 140C Fan before greasing and lining a 1lb loaf tin with baking paper. If doubling the recipe, use a 2lb loaf tin and bake for 55 minutes.
Use a fork to mash the peeled ripe banana in a mixing bowl before adding in all of the other ingredients except the chocolate chips.
Beat the ingredients together with an electric hand mixer until combined and smooth, there may be some banana lumps remaining.
Stir in the chocolate chips and carefully spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin, levelling the top.
Bake the loaf for 40 to 45 minutes or until well risen and the cake is shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
Set aside to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before removing it from the tin and leaving to cool on a wire rack.
If impatient, slice into it warm to enjoy a slice but Mary recommended leaving it to cool fully before decorating with some optional chocolate decoration.
Melt 50g of dark chocolate over a pan of simmering water until fully melted, making sure the bowl does not touch the water.
Spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag and pipe zig-zags across the top of the loaf, setting aside for the chocolate to set.
If you fancy adding nuts to this recipe, Mary recommended adding 50g of chopped pecans or walnuts to the mix.
