Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan with butter and set aside. Place the butter in a small pot on the stove on medium or medium-low heat. The butter will foam up and then subside. Once you see little brown bits at the bottom and smell a nutty aroma, remove it from the heat and transfer it to a heat-proof bowl so it stops cooking. Do not let the butter sit for too long or it will burn.4 tbsp melted browned butter
- While keeping an eye on the butter, whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl, the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon. In a separate bowl mash the bananas with the sour cream, vanilla, and set aside1 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp cinnamon, 3 ripe bananas, 2 tbsp sour cream, ½ tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Add the sugar and eggs into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and allow this whisk on medium for around 5 minutes. The texture will be a light color and have a slightly fluffy texture.3 eggs, 1 cup granulated sugar
- Slowly add the vegetable oil and butter with the stand mixer on low, ensuring that the oil and butter is completely combined into the sugar-egg mixture. Then add the bananas, sour cream, and vanilla.½ cup vegetable oil, 4 tbsp melted browned butter
- Hand stir the dry ingredient mixture just until combined, do not over-mix.
- Pour the mixture into the greased 9x5 loaf pan. I found that lots of butter creates a bit of a firm or crisped edge that is delicious when paired with the soft inside. Place in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. A jiggly center indicates it is undercooked. If the loaf is jiggly when you check it, bake for another 5 or 10 minutes, or until it is no longer jiggly. In my experience, after the extra 5 or 10 minutes the loaf should be completely done, but use your own judgement.
- Allow to cool in the pan for around 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack or a plate. Cool completely before cutting.
Notes
Besides the "jiggle test," insert a toothpick into the center. It should come out with a few moist crumbs, but no wet batter.
If the top is browning too fast, loosely tent a piece of aluminum foil over the pan for the last 20 minutes of baking.
In Step 3, we whisk the eggs and sugar for 5 minutes. Don’t skip this! This process, called "ribboning," aerates the eggs and is the secret to that incredibly soft, non-dense texture.