basic banana loaf
- 1½ cups (240g) buckwheat flour
- 1 cup (160g) rapadura or coconut sugar+
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 cup (260g) mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
- 1 egg
- ½ cup (140g) natural Greek-style (thick) yoghurt
- ¼ cup (60ml) grapeseed oil
- ⅓ cup (80ml) maple syrup, plus extra for brushing
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1 banana, extra, peeled and halved lengthways
- Preheat oven to 160°C (325°F). Line a 10cm x 21cm loaf tin with non-stick baking paper. Place the flour, sugar, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon in a large bowl and mix to combine. Add the mashed banana, egg, yoghurt, oil, maple syrup and vanilla and mix to combine. Pour into the tin and top with the extra banana. Bake for 1 hour – 1 hour 10 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
- Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes before placing onto a wire rack to cool completely. Brush with extra maple syrup to serve. Serves 6–8
+ Rapadura sugar, or panela, is extracted from the pure juice of cane sugar. It’s evaporated over low heat, so it retains more of the minerals and vitamins from the cane. Coconut sugar, or coconut palm sugar, comes from the flowers of the coconut palm. Its rich flavour gives a caramelly depth to baked goods. Both these sugars can be found in the health food aisle of major supermarkets or in health food stores and specialty grocers.
Photography: William Meppem
Vered Westell
Has anyone tried to make it with coconut flour instead of buckwheat?
Karen Winzar
This is the absolute best banana cake recipe; now the only one I would use. So simple, and yes, I had all the ingredients with the exception of the buckwheat flour but substituted plain wholemeal flour. I only used half the loaf but sliced the rest to freeze; when defrosted tasted like it was freshly baked.
Maree Slatter
I just made this banana bread. It is the fourth recipe I have tried. It is amazing and it will become a family favourite for sure. Hardly any left. 
Karen Crisp
This is the BEST EVER Banana bread I have ever tasted. Having made major changes to my diet for health reasons I had all these ingredients in the cupboard, loved it as did my whole family
Jodi Petty
Buckwheat flour, Rapadura & maple syrup don’t seem very basic….
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