I just recently got The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook, and this Bananas Foster Bread instantly stood out to me. Mainly because I happen to love bananas foster, but also because I’m missing my monthly work trips to New Orleans to shoot with Joy. I’ll admit that I hadn’t really heard of Duke’s mayo until recently where I’ve started to see more commercials for it. I think it’s a southern thing. I might be wrong. Don’t yell at me if I am. I’ve always been a Hellman’s (or Best Foods depending where you are in the country) mayonnaise fan because that’s what my mom used all throughout my childhood, and still does to this day. Honestly, you can use whatever your favorite brand of mayo is and no one will know the difference. (I still used Hellman’s, oops). The bread will be just as delicious whichever you choose, I promise. This is like a spruced up banana bread but the best part is that I think it might be easier to make than a traditional banana bread. Take that as incentive to make it as soon as possible.
In a medium bowl, whisk or sift together the all-purpose flour, baking soda, salt and ground cinnamon. Set aside.
You need about 1 1/2 cups of mashed bananas. That’s roughly about 3 to 4 medium bananas, depending on their size. Smash them with a fork or potato masher until smooth and then measure out.
**Note: As with most banana bread, this one especially, you want the bananas to be very ripe. So ripe that you think you’re going to throw them away. But that is the trick to this super moist banana bread. Only one of mine was super ripe, and I couldn’t wait around for the other to join it, so do as I say not as I do.**
In a bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, butter, egg, good quality mayonnaise, dark rum and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth.
**Note: I hesitate to say that the rum is optional, because it’s what really brings out that banana’s foster taste and flavor. If you’re worried about the booze, the alcohol cooks off and so you’re good. If you really just don’t want to use it, you can skip it…but the flavor won’t be there.**
Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined, being careful not to over-mix the batter because if you do, it’ll result in a dry tough bread.
Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the batter out into an even layer. Top with the sliced banana, cut sides up (as shown below).
**Note: This step is completely optional, but I like to sprinkle the top with just a tiny bit of turbinado sugar. It gives it a nice texture on top and I always have some on hand. If you don’t have any, don’t worry about it.**
Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
**Tip: If you want to remove the cake super easily, you can line the pan with parchment paper, leaving a bit of overhang on either side and then use that to lift the bread up out of the pan. I just invert it and then flip it around.**
Meanwhile, to make the glaze, cook the butter in a small skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the milk solids begin to brown and smell nutty. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the rum and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, to cook off the alcohol. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth.
Drizzle the sauce over the cooled bread before slicing and serving. If you like your sauce more like a thick glaze, you can add in a bit more powdered sugar to make it thicker. I added a tiny splash more milk to make it a but runnier because I like it that way on this cake.
The cake will appear to be “under-baked” when you go to slice it, but have no fear, that’s just because it’s that moist. You can thank the mayo, the ripe bananas, and of course the glaze for that. It all lends to a very wet cake, which is what makes this so good.
This is the recipe you make when you want banana bread but you want to take it over the notch. When you want to make banana bread that impresses. It’s the one you make if you’re missing New Orleans and want to bring a bit of the Big Easy to your home. Sure, it’s not traditional Bananas Foster but this bread sure does taste like the real thing. Let me know below if you have any questions or comments. Be sure to take a look at The Duke’s Mayonnaise Cookbook for more delicious recipes. Stay safe out there my friends!
Bananas Foster Bread
Ingredients
Bread:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 cups mashed very ripe bananas about 3 to 4 medium bananas
- 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- 2/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large banana sliced lengthwise
Browned Butter-Rum Glaze:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons dark rum
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a bowl, beat together the mashed bananas, brown sugar, butter, egg, mayo, rum and vanilla extract with an electric mixer until smooth. Add in the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
- Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the batter out into an even layer. Top with the sliced banana, cut sides up. Bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes, or until a toothpick, inserted in the middle, comes out clean. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Meanwhile, to make the glaze, cook the butter in a small skillet over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, swirling the pan occasionally, until the milk solids begin to brown and smell nutty. Remove the pan from the heat and add in the rum and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, to cook off the alcohol. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and cool. Whisk in the powdered sugar until smooth. Drizzle the sauce over the cooled bread before slicing and serving. Enjoy!
Notes
