What makes this banana bread so perfect is the orange juice which gives it a little kick in the pants. And the combination of whole wheat and regular flour which gives it a gorgeous crumb and divine texture. And the cup of sugar, which causes the outside to caramelize beautifully during the long bake time. Of course, you can also make this into muffins if you are short on time, but you won’t get that deep caramel flavor on the crust. And just as an aside: I like to use a potato masher to mash the bananas.
Here is the recipe which comes from a really old Pillsbury Best of the Bake Off Cookbook my Mom purchased for us shortly after we go married:
1 1/4 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1 Cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups (3 medium) mashed bananas
1/4 Cup Butter or Margarine
2 Tablespoons of Orange Juice
1 egg
optional: 1/4 cup raisins or nuts
Heat oven to 350*. Grease and flour the bottom of the loaf pan (9×5 or 8×4). Combine all the ingredients (except optional raisins or nuts) and beat for 3 minutes at medium speed. Fold in raisins or nuts if desired. Bake for 55 to 65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool ten minutes, remove from pan. Cool on wire rack. If you don’t eat it all immediately, store it in refrigerator wrapped tightly.
I use a recipe for vegan banana bread, and even though we aren’t vegan, everyone loves it. Even one daughter, who doesn’t like bananas, loves it. It calls for maple syrup instead of sugar. I like to bake it in the small loaf pans (6 in one pan).