Mascarpone Banana Bread
If you enjoy banana bread swirled or topped with tangy cream cheese, you’re in for a treat! We decided to mix similarly tangy yet buttery-rich mascarpone cheese into the batter for its signature flavor and for its acid that helps to tenderize gluten during baking, resulting in a softer crumb. And because there’s no such thing as too much of a good thing, we created a creamy whipped mascarpone topping for slathering on slice after slice.
Mascarpone Banana Bread
Servings 1 (8 1⁄2×4 1⁄2-inch) loaf
Ingredients
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour1 teaspoon kosher salt1/2 teaspoon baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1 1/4 cups (300 grams) mashed ripe banana (about 3 medium bananas)1 1/4 cups (275 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar1/2 cup (113 grams) mascarpone cheese*, softened1/3 cup (75 grams) neutral oil, plus more for scoring2 large eggs (100 grams), room temperature1 tablespoon (13 grams) vanilla extractMascarpone Whipped Cream (recipe follows)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 325°F (170°C). Spray an 81⁄2×41⁄2-inch loaf pan with baking spray with flour. Line pan with parchment paper, letting excess extend over all sides of pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a large bowl, whisk together banana, brown sugar, mascarpone, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Gradually stir in flour mixture just until combined. Spread batter into prepared pan.
Dip a clean small offset spatula in oil to coat lightly. Starting at one short side of pan, score a 3- to 4-inch line lengthwise along center of batter with oiled spatula. 5. Bake for 40 minutes. Rotate pan, and bake until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean and an instant- read thermometer inserted in center registers 200°F (93°C) to 205°F (96°C), 40 to 50 minutes more, loosely covering with foil during final 20 minutes of baking to prevent excess browning. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using excess parchment as handles, remove from pan, and let cool completely on wire rack. Serve with Mascarpone Whipped Cream. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
Notes
*We used BelGioioso® Mascarpone Cheese.
Mascarpone Whipped Cream
Servings 2.5 cups
Ingredients
1 cup (225 grams) mascarpone cheese, softened1 cup (120 grams) confectioners’ sugar2 teaspoons (8 grams) vanilla extract1/4 teaspoon kosher salt1 cup (240 grams) cold heavy whipping cream
Instructions
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat mascarpone, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt at medium speed until well combined, 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to scrape whisk and bottom and sides of bowl. With mixer on low speed, add cold cream in a slow, steady stream, beating until well combined; scrape whisk and bottom and sides of bowl. Beat at high speed until mixture is light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days; stir before using.
The post Mascarpone Banana Bread first appeared on Bake from Scratch.