Let Them Eat Bread or Cake
Last week I bought bananas to eat and forgot about them. Nothing new here, since this seems to be a pattern I often follow. Fortunately, they were not beyond hope, at least not for baking.
Around the same time, I had also bought two large jars of Nutella, that delicious hazelnut spread that is beyond addicting. What a perfect time to try these two ingredients together.
It took me a few rounds before I figured out exactly how I wanted to bake this. I started baking this in a loaf pan for the first two attempts, then switched to a rectangular pan and, finally, ended up right back where I started using a loaf pan. I think of breads being baked in loaf pans and brownies and cakes being baked in rectangular pans.
Why? I think it dates to my early bread baking days when this was the way things were done and I, originally, considered this recipe a loaf of bread. Nowadays, one can really use any size pan for a variety of desserts and breads.
The Banana Nutella Bread is moist and nearly as addicting as its signature ingredient. It can, truly, be served as is and you will have very happy eaters. However, I thought that a Nutella ganache would give it an additional WOW factor, which I always love.
Even though this could easily be a cake, especially with the ganache topping, I still call it bread. You can call it whichever you like, just as long as you bake it first. Chances are that you, too, will realize it just doesn’t matter with something this good!!!
| Banana Nutella Bread | | Print |
- Banana Nutella bread:
- 3 ripe bananas, divided
- 2¼ cups all purpose flour
- 1¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup sugar
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, melted
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup Nutella
- Ganache topping:
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup Nutella
- For the Banana Nutella bread:
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Line a 9” x 5” loaf pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Mash 1 banana in a bowl and set aside. Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together and set aside.
- Beat 2 of the bananas, butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla in a mixing bowl fitted with a balloon whisk. Blend in the dry ingredients. Add the Nutella. Lastly, fold in the mashed banana.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
- Bake at 350° for 1 hour, rotating the pan front to back halfway through. Cool completely.
- For the Nutella ganache:
- Warm the cream in either the microwave or on the stove until hot, but not boiling. Add the Nutella and stir until thoroughly blended together.
- Lift the parchment paper out of the pan and place this on a cutting board. Slice the Banana Nutella Bread and serve the Nutella ganache on the side.
- Betsy's tidbits:
- Spray the loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray before lining it with parchment paper. The paper will stay in place.
- The Nutella ganache will thicken as it sits.
Somehow loaf pans do seem to fit quick breads…But, Betsy, I’ll take a slice or two (or three) of this delicious looking and sounding Nutella bread…You can bet I saved the recipe. Thank you!
Kim, a/k/a The Ninja Baker,
Loaf pans are wonderful for quick breads…even those in disguise. 🙂
Thanks so much!!
YUM! Two of my favs! Happy Thanksgiving!
Phil,
Thank you. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, too!
I would have loved it without the ganache. But now that I see it with the ganache, there’s no way I’d leave it off. Thought I was too full from Thanksgiving to have any desire for any more food now, but I was wrong. This looks delicious.
Karen,
You made me smile with your comment. There is ALWAYS room for Nutella ganache…anything!
That looks great. Nutella sure has taken off in the U.S. For ages it was a European thing, but it is here to stay!
Adri,
Thank goodness Nutella is here to stay!
Have I mentioned before that my daughter looooves Nutella? Always on the look out for new recipes. This one looks terrific.
Marjory,
I think your daughter is going to LOVE you when you (or she) bakes this!
I tend to still do the same thing with the pans, nowadays it’s just cooler and one can be creative. =) Your cake looks super tempting Betsy!
Helene,
Thanks so much!!
I would like to make this to give to someone as a gift. Obviously, I cannot give it with a side dish of the Nutella ganache. Which would you recommend: drizzling the ganache on the top of the whole cake or icing the entire cake? Thank you very much.
Mary,
With ganache this amazing, I say top the whole cake!
For all you Nutella lovers this is a must make. Moist, just like Betsy’s Banana Bread with Pecans, but with that wonderful Nutella flavor added. I’d refer to it more as a cake than a bread, probably because I ate two large slices for my dessert. Fabulous.
Susan,
Thanks so much. I think you are right, this can be called ‘bread’ or ‘cake’. Then again, who cares what one calls it as long as we get to eat it! 🙂
Yes, I gave it as a gift and I was only sorry that I made just one. They did slice into it, while I was there, and I did manage to get a small slice. But, that was hardly enough to satisfy me and the rest was eaten by all the other guests. It got nothing but rave reviews and it is, definitely, a bread I will make again. No point in not treating myself the way I treat my friends.
Mary,
What a wonderful and delicious gift! I think you more than deserve a loaf just for you.