Indulge your senses with the irresistible fusion of warm spices, ripe bananas, crunchy nuts, and decadent butterscotch in this Spiced Banana-Nut & Butterscotch Bread. A delightful treat that goes beyond the ordinary, this bread is a symphony of flavors and textures that will elevate your baking repertoire.
This Spiced Banana-Nut & Butterscotch Bread stands out for its unique combination of flavors and textures. The aromatic spices, sweet bananas, and rich butterscotch create a harmonious blend that takes traditional banana bread to new heights. The addition of toasted nuts adds a satisfying crunch, making each slice a delightful sensory experience.
This Spiced Banana-Nut & Butterscotch Bread is a departure from traditional yeast-leavened bread, showcasing a different approach to achieving a light and fluffy texture. Unlike its yeast-leavened counterparts, this bread relies on chemical leaveners and the addition of milk to create a delightful rise.
While many breads require the patience of yeast fermentation, this and many other banana bread recipes opt for a quicker leavening process. Baking soda and baking powder, the chemical leaveners at play here, work in harmony to produce carbon dioxide gas. This gas gets trapped in the batter, causing the bread to rise and creating a tender crumb without the lengthy proofing time associated with yeast.
Also, milk plays a dual role in this bread’s leavening process. First, it adds moisture, contributing to the overall tenderness of the loaf. Secondly, the proteins and sugars in the milk create light bubbles as they interact with the leavening agents. These bubbles expand during baking, giving the bread its characteristic airy texture.
Experience a medley of flavors with each bite – the sweetness of ripe bananas, the warmth of spices, the richness of butterscotch, and the crunch of toasted nuts. The combination is perfectly balanced, creating a bread that is comforting, indulgent, and utterly delicious.
Pro Tips:
- Ripe Bananas: Use overly ripe bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor.
- Toasted Nuts: Toast the nuts before adding them to the batter to intensify their nuttiness.
- Sifting: Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together. After sifting and adding the spices, give these dry ingredients a good whisking to ensure an even distribution of leavening agents.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 cup (1 stick/8 tbsp) softened butter
- 3 eggs (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 5 overly ripe bananas
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt (1 1/2 tsp if using Kosher salt)
- 1/3 cup whole milk (or water)
- 1/2 cup chopped and toasted walnuts (or any other nuts)
- 1/3 cup butterscotch chips for bread batter
The Spices:
- 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp Ground Cardamom
- 1/2 Ground Cloves
The Ganache:
- 1/2 cup butterscotch chips for ganache
- 2-3 tbsp heavy whipping cream for ganache
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9×5-inch loaf pan.
- In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside.
- Add the spices and give the dry ingredients a good mix using a whisk.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Mash the ripe bananas and add them to the butter-sugar mixture. Mix well.
- Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, alternating with milk. Mix until just combined.
- Fold in chopped and toasted nuts along with butterscotch chips.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- While the bread is cooling, make the butterscotch ganache by microwaving butterscotch chips with heavy whipping cream for one minute in 30 second intervals, until smooth. You can start with one tablespoon of heavy whipping cream at time until you reach desired consistency.
- Drizzle the ganache over the cooled bread.
- Allow the ganache to set before slicing and enjoying this delectable Spiced Banana-Nut & Butterscotch Bread.
