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Chocolate-Banana Tea Loaves

Source of Recipe


From "Once Upon a Tart" by Frank Mentesana and Jerome Audurea






List of Ingredients



• 12 Tbsp (1-1/2 sticks) butter, softened; plus more for smearing in loaf pans
  
• 1-1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; plus more for dusting loaf pans
  
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
  
• 1-1/2 tsp baking soda
  
• 3/4 tsp salt
  
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
  
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
  
• 6 very ripe bananas, mashed
  
• 1 cup cold sour cream
  






Instructions



1. Position your oven racks so that one is in the center, and preheat the oven to 400° F. Smear two 5 x 9-inch loaf pans with butter, and dust them lightly with flour.
   
   
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium-size bowl. In a separate, big bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until the mixture is creamy and fluffy, and a light lemon-yellow in color. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs. Add the banana, and continue mixing at low speed until it is completely incorporated into the batter. Stir half of the sour cream into the wet mixture. Fold in half of the dry ingredients. Repeat, until all of the ingredients are combined and not a trace of flour remains. Turn into the prepared loaf pans, making sure to divide the batter equally between the two pans.
   
   
3. Place pans side by side on the center rack in the oven and bake for 70 to 75 minutes. A toothpick or small knife inserted into the edge of each loaf will come out clean. Inserted deep in the center, it will come out with a little bit of wet batter stuck to it. When the loaves are ready to come out of the oven, they will have split on top and pulled away from the sides of the pan. Remove the loaves from the oven, and set them on a wire rack for a few minutes, until they are cool enough to touch. To remove a loaf from its pan, place the rack over the top of the pan and quickly flip the pan so the loaf falls out onto the rack. Allow to cool a bit before slicing.
   
   Makes two 5 x 9-inch loaves, or 16 servings.