Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread – Step by Step Guide

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Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread - Step by Step Guide

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread – Step by Step Guide: Every slice of this cinnamon swirl banana bread features a moist crumb, lots of banana flavor, and a thick ribbon of cinnamon sugar swirled through the center. Top with a simple vanilla icing to turn this quick bread into a delightful dessert-like treat.

Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread – Step by Step Guide

Ingredients for Banana Bread

  • 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar (or use packed brown sugar)
  • 4 Tablespoons (56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 and 1/2 cups (345g) mashed bananas (about 4 medium or 3 large ripe bananas)
  • 1/3 cup (80g) plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Ingredients for Cinnamon Swirl

  • 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Ingredients for Vanilla Icing

  • 1/2 cup (60g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • 1 Tablespoon (15ml) heavy cream or milk
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions 

    1. Adjust the oven rack to the lower third position and preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Lowering the oven rack prevents the top of your bread from browning too much, too soon. Grease a metal 9×5-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
    2. Make the banana bread batter: Whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
    3. Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Then beat in the mashed bananas, yogurt, and vanilla extract until combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly beat the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until no flour pockets remain. Do not over-mix. You’ll have around 3 and 1/2 cups of batter.
    4. Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: Mix the sugar and cinnamon together. Spoon half of the banana bread batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Pour and spread remaining batter on top. The top layer of batter will want to stick to the cinnamon-sugar filling, making spreading a little tougher to do, but use a spoon to carefully spread it out as best you can. Using a knife, swirl the batter down the center of the loaf pan. Avoid over-swirling, which will mix the layers together too much.
    5. Bake for 55–65 minutes, making sure to loosely cover the bread with aluminum foil halfway through to prevent the top from getting too brown. The bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with only a few small moist crumbs. All ovens vary, so begin checking every 5 minutes around the 55-minute mark.
    6. Remove bread from the oven and allow the bread to cool in the pan set on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove bread from the pan and cool bread directly on the wire rack until cooled completely.
    7. Whisk the icing ingredients together. (I usually use heavy cream, which promises a thick icing.) Drizzle over bread before slicing.
    8. Cover and store banana bread at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Icing seeps into the top of the banana bread over time, so expect the tops of the slices to become a little moist.

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