Banana-Carrot Quick Bread

Ingredients

  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste
  • 1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
  • 3/4 cup shredded Carrots
  • Optional: 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • Coarse baking sugar

Instructions


Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter a bread pan.


In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter. Add the sugar and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until a little fluffy. Add the mashed bananas, lemon zest and vanilla, mixing to combine thoroughly.


In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and cardamom. Add this dry mixture in thirds to the buttery banana batter, mixing until just combined. It will be rather thick. With a wooden spoon, stir in the shredded Carrots and, if you like, chopped walnuts, so they are distributed evenly through the batter.


Put the batter into the buttered bread pan. Smooth the batter evenly in the pan. Sprinkle with coarse baking sugar. Bake at 350ºF for one hour. Allow the bread to cool to room temperature before removing it from the pan.


Carrots