This may well be the easiest cake in the world to bake… but it sure is one of the most delicious Banana Breads that I’ve ever eaten. Ready for the oven in a matter of minutes and on the table ready to be sliced in less than an hour. The demerara spiced topping produces a beautiful crispy crust, which gives way to a moist and flavourful interior. It also keeps well for a day or two in an airtight container, if by chance the whole cake doesn’t get snaffled on the day that it’s made.
Possibly the last cake recipe for a little while on G&G… now that our days are getting longer, I’m looking forward to snapping a few photos of our main meals to share with you instead. Somehow I never seemed to get myself organised enough to cook our dinner at lunchtime to photograph in the optimum light… hmmm, terribly lazy I know!
Banana Bread with Demerara Topping | Gather and Graze
- 300g/2-3 Medium Bananas
- 115g/½ Cup Raw Caster Sugar
- 1 Free-Range Egg
- 80g/⅓ Cup Unsalted Butter (Melted)
- 150g/1 Cup Self-Raising Flour
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- ½ Teaspoon Ground Cardamom
- ¼ Teaspoon Sea Salt
- Topping: 1 Tablespoon Demerara Sugar mixed with ¼ Teaspoon Cinnamon
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Grease and line a 23x13cm (9x5in) loaf tin.
In a large mixing bowl, mash the bananas with a fork. Add the sugar, egg and melted butter and whisk well. Sift in the flour, spices and salt and stir until the dry ingredients are just combined. Now scoop the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle with the combined Demerara sugar and cinnamon topping, if using.
Place into the oven and bake for approximately 35-40 minutes, until golden brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, before removing to a cooling rack. Perfect served either warm, cold or toasted with lashings of butter! 
Gather & Graze 
Love the idea of this golden, crunchy topping on banana bread. Takes it to the next level.
Thanks Hungry Mum! It’s beautiful and crunchy on the day it’s made! It softens by the next day when stored in an airtight container, but the flavour is still wonderful… 🙂
This banana bread sounds so, so good Margot! I have to try it out soon 🙂
Sorry for the very late reply Naina! Thanks so much – I’ve been making this quite regularly as somehow I always seem to buy too many bananas… 🙂 I’ve also taken to freezing bananas (peeled and chopped into chunks) – perfect for smoothies, cakes and muffins!
I’m such a sucker for banana bread and this looks fabulous!
Thanks so much Ngan! 🙂
Ooh that does sound good (and easy)!!
It’s both of those things Tanya! My over-ripe bananas will never be wasted again. 🙂 Cheers!
oh simple and delicious and just right for the weather! thanks for posting
You’re welcome Polianthus! Thanks so much for the kind comment 🙂
you are welcome – I feel like a bad blogging friend as I dive down into work and only rarely come up for breathers to visit posts I love and read exciting recipes and stories, although I find it SO edifying. Ah well – as Flippenblog says have job will travel and do other fun stuff..
🙂 Never enough hours in the day to do everything we want to! I know exactly how you feel. 🙂
seems it is the same for all of us and the weekends are too short….however i hang on to my easel and paintbrushes just in case I ever find the time..bottom of the to do list but never the less important
I am definitely going to make this. Last year I was looking for a basic banana bread recipe and surprisingly, I didn’t find any to my liking. But this: I LIKE! Specially as it comes with your stamp of approval and also love that you use cardamom. Thank you for an awesome recipe and while I am jealous that you guys now have spring and summer ahead of you (while we will be plunging into cold and darkness of the winter soon) I’m delighted that we will be treated to more posts of your recipes thanks to the longer daylight and more food blogging photo op! xxxx
Oh Azita, I very much hope that this one might be to your liking. Do please let me know if you try it and what your thoughts are. These seasons are funny old things aren’t they… a bit like being on a merry-go-round – when the flowers are springing here, the leaves are falling where you are. Something to marvel at really… if only we could do away with winter! 😉
My daughter would love a slice of your banana bread in her lunch box! So moist and lovely!
No need to feel lazy! I don’t even look at the stove before lunch time! 😉
Thanks so much Francesca, I wish I could send her a slice (or two!) to be placed in her lunch box! That’s reassuring to hear… I’m definitely more of an afternoon/evening cook too! 🙂
Woah, this sounds amazing. Definitely craving it now!
Kind of you to say so, Laura! Cheers!
Lovely bread Margot 🙂 I’m a lazy mama too, I would like to have a generous slice of your Banana Bread with my breakfast just now. Enjoy your summer.
Oh it’s perfect (toasted) at breakfast time Linda! 🙂 Thanks for your sweet comment.
You’ve sold me with those spices. Coincidentally, I’ll be using that combo tomorrow with a new chestnut pie. That’s if I can quit stuffing me face with chestnut truffle cake! That one I made this afternoon. Hoh, and the weather isn’t even cold – yet. It’s dark by 7, though. So I’m already dreading 3 weeks from now when the clocks go forward. Still, grabbing photos of cakes (or what’s left of ’em) is easier next day with no reheating going on. Anyway, must buy in more bananas!
Cheers Johnny. I tried to photograph another main meal last night, but once again… got a few photos in prep time, but was dark at serving time. Bring on daylight savings, I say! Another hour of light late in the day will be wonderful! 🙂 Oh and your chestnut truffle cake looks perfectly indulgent – will come across for a closer look soon!
I know what you mean Margot! I used to find that by the time I was cooking dinner it was often a losing battle against fading light and a hungry family. These days I try to cook and shoot in the morning on my day off and resurrect the dish later. It’s might not be perfect by then, but so far there’ve been no complaints! 🙂
That’s exactly what I should have been doing too Sam! I’ll have to work on being a little bit more organised for the shorter days of next winter… plan things out a little better! 🙂
Bookmarked! This sounds just right as our days turn a little more autumnal.
I really hope you find a moment to bake this Anne, as the farm heads into it’s quieter season! Cheers, Margot
Beautiful loaf Margot, I love quick breads, and your demerara topping is wonderful on that lovely moist banana bread.
Thanks Suzanne! The topping works so well on this particular bread/cake – it goes so beautifully golden and crispy. 🙂
Can I add in some slivered pistachios?
Absolutely… nuts go so well within a banana bread.