Banana and Ginger Loaf

20. April, 2011

Bananas and Ginger sound like a strange combination yet they are a perfect match, trust me. This is the perfect tea bread to enjoy on a Sunday morning because the lovely and slightly spicy aroma will fill your kitchen for the whole day.

If you don't like raisins you can use chopped dates or apricots instead.

Note that you will need a basic loaf tin for this recipe.

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A truly refreshing and delightful teabread

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This recipe is:

Lactose (dairy) free
Nut free

Banana and Ginger Loaf

Makes one loaf

Ingredients

275 grams (9½ oz) spelt flour
2 teaspoons aluminium and gluten free baking powder
3 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Small piece (1 tablespoon) fresh ginger, chopped very finely
80 grams (3 oz) rapadura cane sugar (or other raw cane sugar)
2 eggs (please use free range eggs)
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (from a health food store)
1 tablespoon coconut oil
115 grams (3¾ oz) raisins (or sultanas/apricots/dates)

Preparation

In a large bowl, sift together the 275 grams spelt flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder, 3 teaspoons ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg and ¼ teaspoon ground cloves. Stir well.
Peel the small piece ginger and chop very finely. You will need one tablespoon ginger. Add to the large bowl and stir well.
Mash the 4 bananas.
In a small bowl, stir together the 2 eggs, the mashed bananas, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon coconut oil and the 80 grams cane sugar.
With a large wooden spoon, fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do this swiftly and do not stir, only fold approximately 8-10 times.
Add the 115 grams raisins and fold 2-3 times.
The batter will look fairly ugly but this is fine since it will ensure that the loaf will be light.
Line a basic loaf tin with baking parchment.
Pour the batter into the loaf tin and make sure that the corners have batter as well.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius/350 Fahrenheit/Gas Mark 4, for 40-45 minutes.
You can tell if the loaf is ready when sticking a sharp knife into the middle. If it comes out clean, it is ready. It will also sound hollow when tapped underneath with your knuckles when ready. I prefer the loaf a little sticky however so it might not be completely ready in 40 minutes, bake for longer if you prefer.

Tips

If the coconut oil is cold (in which case it becomes solid), place the jar in a bowl filled with hot water for a couple of minutes.
You can use whole wheat flour instead of the spelt flour.
You can use regular baking powder instead of the aluminium and gluten free one.
You can use black and bruised bananas with spots, they are perfect for this recipe.
Add a handful of chopped walnuts or pecan nuts for a healthy treat.
You can make muffins from this recipe, just reduce the baking time by 20-25 minutes.
The loaf freezes well.