For this banana bread, we used our favorite Latundan bananas. Latundan is a cultivar named after Claude Letondal–a French clergyman who introduced the banana to the Philippines from India. These bananas have thin, bright yellow skins, and white flesh with a milder banana flavor than other types. It is also the most requested banana when a stomach bug strikes and nothing goes down easy. If you can’t find Latundan bananas you can use other available types for this recipe. This banana bread is dense and moist with a nice tang from the sour cream and a wonderful, crunchy, buttery crust if you have it straight out of the oven.

Moist Banana Bread

*Yields 1 loaf

INGREDIENTS
1 1/2 cups mashed, overripe bananas
2 cups All-purpose flour (plus extra for pan)
1 cup brown sugar
1 stick of salted butter, softened (plus extra for pan)
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt
cinnamon powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder

TO MAKE
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a loaf pan and set aside.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients (except the sugars) in a bowl with a whisk to combine and break up any lumps.

3. In another bowl, beat the softened butter with the sugars. Beat in the eggs and add a dash of vanilla.

4. Fold in the sour cream and bananas and mix well.

5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix just until combined. Pour the thick batter into the pan and bake for 50 minutes. Stick a toothpick in the center of the bread and it should be still moist but not goopy, otherwise, bake a few more minutes and check again.

Note: This banana bread is best served on the same day. Serve straight out of the oven or serve warm with slabs of cold butter.

P.S. You will need your bananas to be really overripe with blackened skin to use in this recipe. Basically the consistency of a chunky smoothie. Otherwise, you can bake ripe bananas in a 300 – 350 degree F oven for 30 minutes or until the skin is blackened and the flesh is easy to mash.

*Photo by Ina Amor Mejia.