Perfect squidgy banana bread

I’ve always loved a nice banana bread, but I have been obsessed with it since I had the perfect slice of the soft and squidgy stuff, spread with ricotta cheese and served with a pot of honey to drizzle, at a small Italian cafe in Sheffield one morning. It was heaven. I already have a banana bread recipe on here, which is a wholemeal, reduced sugar one. This is like that, but with white flour, and added squidginess via the maple syrup and extra spice with increased cinnamon. I also added Greek yoghurt instead of milk. The result is the most fantastic, soft, delicious banana bread that the kids have been loving, even for breakfast. Adam loves it too, and he’s not a cake person at all.

That’s what this is: cake for people that don’t like cake, and people who do too! Do use very ripe bananas, it makes a difference. It gets better after a few days, so leave it wrapped up in a bread bin and let it age for a day for pure perfection. Serve it cold with a cuppa, or warm with custard.

P.S. Not got a loaf tin? These would make great muffins / cupcakes!

Makes: a 2lb loaf, about 10-15 slices
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 50 minutes
Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients:
125g butter, softened
150g golden caster sugar
2 tablespoons maple syrup (or use honey)
250g self-raising flour
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
5 tablespoons Greek yoghurt
Pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of dark brown sugar

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Butter and flour (or line) a 2lb loaf tin.
2. Beat the sugar and butter with an electric whisk for a few minutes. 
3. Mash the banana, add the eggs and yoghurt. Add the syrup and the vanilla too. 
4. Combine these two mixtures and fold in the flour along with a pinch of salt. 
5. Tip the batter into the tin and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean. 
6. Let it cool in the tin until you can handle it, then tip out onto a cooling rack if you have one.