Bananas Foster Bread

We have always loved the food of Louisiana—especially the recipes of Cajun country and of New Orleans. After seeing an episode of “Southern at Heart,” in which Food Network chef Damaris Phillips shared her version of some New Orleans classics, Chuck decided that he needed to make Bananas Foster bread.

We served the original version of Bananas Foster for dessert at a dinner party recently and really enjoyed the play of rum, brown sugar, butter, and bananas. Damaris takes these ingredients and morphs them into a banana bread that is more dessert than breakfast food. Glazing the bread with a rum, butter, and sugar sauce nudges it firmly into the dessert category.

Because we had ripe bananas and rum on hand, Chuck tried out his version of her recipe. Using what was in our pantry, he had to forego her suggestion of coconut oil and rum extract as ingredients, but subbed in canola oil and plain old rum.

Soon the tempting smell of banana bread filled our house. The bread came out of the oven with a beautiful caramelized color.

Chuck quickly put together the rum glaze, although he decided to use only half the amount that Damaris suggested.

When we sliced into the bread, we found a tender, flavorful treat. As we curled up to watch an old movie on a cold night, it was pretty special to eat a slice of moist Bananas Foster cake bread with ice cream and some extra rum sauce on top.

Bananas Foster Bread

Chuck Dobie

Banana bread with a New Orleans taste

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Total Time 2 hours hrs 40 minutes mins

Servings 8

Ingredients

  

For the banana bread

• Cooking spray for greasing
• 4 medium-ripe bananas mashed (1 2/3 cups)
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil D.P.* suggests coconut oil, melted
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 1 teaspoon rum D.P. suggests rum extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

For the glaze

• 2 tablespoons 1/4 stick unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons spiced rum
• 1 teaspoon orange zest
• Vanilla ice cream for serving, optional

Instructions

 

For the banana bread

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Spray a 9 X 4 inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
• Using a potato masher or fork, mash the ripe bananas, leaving a few lumps. Combine the mashed bananas with the eggs, sugar, oil, yogurt, rum (or rum extract) and vanilla extract in a medium bowl.
• In a different large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Use a whisk to mix and lighten the dry ingredients.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients in the large bowl. Pour the banana mixture into the dry ingredients.
• Stir until the flour is incorporated into the wet mixture and batter becomes smooth.
• Pour the bread batter into the greased loaf pan.
• Bake about 1 hour, or until the bread is golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
• Remove from the loaf from the oven and, keeping it in the pan, set it aside while you make the glaze.

For the glaze

• Over medium heat, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the brown sugar and water. Stir well to combine. Cook over medium heat until reduced by about half.
• Remove from the heat (this is so the rum doesn't ignite) and add the rum and orange zest.
• Pour half of the glaze into a heat-proof container and set aside as a garnish for later.

To glaze the cake

• Pour the warm remaining glaze directly over the warm bread.
• Allow the cake to sit in the loaf pan for an additional hour so that it can absorb the glaze well.
• Remove from the loaf pan onto a plate.

To serve

• Slice the cake and top with vanilla ice cream and additional rum glaze.

Notes

*D.P. = Damaris Phillips
The cake can be made one day ahead of time. Store the cake wrapped in plastic. Refrigerate the extra glaze separately, but rewarm before using.

Adapted from Damaris Phillips "Southern at Heart"