Ingredients:

  • 1 ¾ cups (210 g) All-Purpose Flour (Plain Flour), sifted
  • 1 teaspoon (5 g) Baking Soda
  • ½ teaspoon (2.5 g) Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ teaspoon (2 g) Ground Cinnamon (Optional)
  • ½ cup (115 g) Unsalted Butter, softened
  • ½ cup (100 g) Light Brown Sugar, packed
  • ¼ cup (50 g) Granulated Sugar (Caster Sugar)
  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Zest (from 2 large lemons)
  • 2 Large Eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
  • 1 teaspoon (5 ml) Vanilla Extract
  • 3 large (approx. 350 g) Very Ripe Bananas, mashed
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) Fresh Lemon Juice

Instructions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and lightly flour a 9x5 inch loaf pan, then line it with a parchment paper sling.
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (if using). Set aside.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, and lemon zest on medium speed until light and fluffy—about 3 minutes. The zest infuses best during this creaming stage.
  4. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, ensuring each is fully incorporated before adding the next. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  5. Add the mashed bananas and the fresh lemon juice to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined. The mixture may look slightly curdled due to the acid, which is perfectly normal.
  6. Add the dry ingredients (from Step 2) to the wet mixture. Mix only until just combined—a few streaks of flour are acceptable. Do not overmix, as this will result in a tough texture.
  7. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top.
  8. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.
  9. Test for doneness: Insert a long skewer or cake tester into the centre of the loaf. It should come out clean, or with just a few moist crumbs attached. If the top begins to brown too quickly, loosely tent the loaf with foil.
  10. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then use the parchment paper sling to lift it out and transfer it to a wire rack. Allow to cool completely before slicing.