Banana Nut Bread and Cake

I don’t know how it happened, or when it came about, but I love to bake. It’s fun, and I love trying different recipes and the end result is always a huge plus. However, I am a mess in the kitchen. It does not matter how I go about it, a mess is always created and the more I take my time, the bigger the mess. I have even pre-measured the ingredients because I read a stupid article about how keeping a clean kitchen is possible when you take the time to gather each element prior to mixing. Lies. It’s all lies! The only thing different was the timing of the flour bomb. Instead of during the measuring step, it happened while I was mixing the damn ingredients and because I wasn’t expecting it, it was in my face, my hair, all over the flour. Seriously, how does one go about keeping the flour in the container without a big poof of it splattering all over. It’s so bad that when Abby sees me getting the stuff out to bake, she sits in the living room in judgement. The first time I didn’t think much of it, but this is her reaction each time I bake, so I think she’s trying to not-so-subtly tell me.

Anyway, on to the recipes, which I feel are too good not to share.

Banana Nut Bread

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1⅛ cup sugar

½ cup vegetable or canola oil

2 tablespoons buttermilk or milk

½ teaspoon vanilla

3 bananas mashed very well

½ cup chopped walnuts (optional

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Add flour, baking soda and salt to a small bowl and set aside.

Mix egg, sugar and oil and stir until well combined

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir well. The mixture will be thick and dry.

Next add milk, vanilla and bananas and stir until incorporated.

Mix in walnuts and pour into a loaf pan.

Cook 50-75 minutes, checking regularly until a knife comes out clean.

Banana Cake

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

1 cup white sugar

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, softened

2 eggs

4 ripe bananas, mashed

⅔ cup buttermilk

½ cup chopped walnuts

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 8-inch round pans.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.

Cream white sugar, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl until light and fluffy. 

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in mashed bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, mixing well after each addition. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pans.

Bake in the preheated oven until cake springs back when gently pressed, about 30 minutes.

Remove cake layers from the oven and place them on a damp tea towel to cool.