Marbled Banana Spelt Cake
A cake that you can modify to your preference
I promise I am still working on the second part of my secret ingredient post, but in the meantime, I wanted to share this recipe for a marbled banana spelt cake. It is one of those recipes you can easily tweak based on what you have on hand— just follow your intuition.
I am not usually a banana cake/bread person, but whenever overripe bananas start piling up on my kitchen counter, I make this recipe, adapting it each time with whatever ingredients I have—running low on spelt flour? No worries—use all-purpose flour instead, and reduce the liquid slightly, since whole wheat flour tends to absorb more moisture. Want a warmer flavour? Add a pinch of cinnamon or cardamom to the batter. I love using partially Panela sugar for a touch of caramel-y depth but feel free to swap in whatever sugar you have on hand. I left my version plain, but feel free to add walnuts or pecans.
Here is a funny story: a friend of mine once planned to make banana bread and realized she did not have any bananas! Instead, she used persimmons from her garden, and it turned out ridiculously delicious. So the bottom line is if you don't have bananas, try persimmons.
I love eating banana bread warm with a generous knob of butter, or lightly frying it in butter and serving it with fresh yogurt. You do you—this recipe is all about making it your own.
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Ingredients
220 grams fine-grind spelt flour
15 grams dutch-process cocoa powder
100 grams sugar
80 grams Panela sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 free-range eggs, at room temperature
120 + 20 grams salted butter, room temperature
1 tsp of your preferred spice(s)
3 over-ripe bananas, mashed loosely with a fork
100 grams buttermilk
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Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C. Generously grease a loaf pan with butter and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
Start by browning the butter. Place 120 grams of butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Swirl the pan gently and continuously until the butter melts and turns golden brown. Remove the pan from the heat. Weigh the browned butter (it will have reduced slightly due to evaporation), and then add the remaining butter to the warm browned butter, one teaspoon at a time, until you have a total of 120 grams. Set aside.
Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into a medium mixing bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the browned butter and sugars, whisking with a balloon whisk until well incorporated. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition until the mixture is smooth and shiny.
Add the mashed bananas and the spice(s) followed by the buttermilk to the wet mixture.
Add the dry ingredients (except for the cocoa powder) to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Be careful not to over-mix the batter, as this can affect the texture.
In a small mixing bowl, combine a few tablespoons of the batter with the cocoa powder until well mixed. Pour half of the regular batter into the prepared pan, then spoon the chocolate batter on top. Finally, add the rest of the regular batter on top.
Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out with just a few crumbs. Let the cake cool down a bit before slicing and serving.
Noosh-e-Jaan, may it nourish your soul. x
Looking tasty !