Banana Bread with Nutella Swirl

Recipe:

Ingredient Notes:

• Bananas. You can use bananas ranging from perfectly ripe to practically black. The riper the banana, the more fragrant your loaf will be (and the darker the crumb color). For measuring, one medium banana typically weighs about 100g (3.5 oz).
• Eggs. I use medium-sized eggs weighing 50-55g each. It’s best to use them at room temperature for better emulsification.
• Flour. I use standard all-purpose flour (plain flour) with a protein content of around 10.5g per 100g. You can substitute it with a slightly lower grade flour without needing to make any other changes to the recipe.
• Nutella/Hazelnut Spread. Any chocolate-hazelnut paste that is similar to “Nutella” in taste and consistency will work just fine for the topping.
• Sugar. Just regular white granulated sugar. Using fine grain sugar is better, as the crystals will dissolve more quickly and thoroughly in the batter.
• Butter. You can use butter with a fat content of 72% or higher. Crucially, it must be at room temperature, soft but not melted – this is essential for creaming it properly with the sugar. I absolutely don’t recommend substituting margarine; it gives off an off-flavor that ruins the whole bake.
• Chocolate. I prefer using dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 60% to 72% for banana bakes. Semisweet chocolate with 50–60% cocoa will also work nicely. Whether you use ready-made drops (chocolate chips) or finely chop a bar is entirely up to your preference!

Let’s start cooking!

Mash the bananas, using either a potato masher or a blender. I prefer using the masher, as leaving small chunks of fruit gives the final loaf a more interesting texture.

Add the eggs, sugar, vanilla sugar, and the melted and slightly cooled butter. Mix until they form a smooth, uniform mixture.

Incorporate the flour (sifted along with the baking soda and baking powder) and the salt. Mix the batter until just combined. The batter should not be too stiff or overly liquid; if the batter is too thin, the chocolate paste and chocolate pieces will sink to the bottom of the pan after baking.

Add the chocolate. If using ready-made chocolate chips, toss them in. If using a chocolate bar, chop it into small pieces first.

Give the batter one final mix, then scoop the batter into the loaf pan (I use two small ones instead of one large one).

Carefully spoon the chocolate-hazelnut paste over the top of the batter, distributing it as evenly as possible.

Using a wooden skewer or a chopstick, gently swirl the paste into the surface to create the beautiful marbled effect.

Transfer the loaf to an oven preheated to 180°C (350°F). Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, which usually takes about 40–45 minutes.

Once baked, let it cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy!

This Banana Bread with Nutella Swirl recipe was checked, prepared and approved by Chef Tatyana Nazaruk - author of FlavorIt.com.
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