Pumpkin Banana Bread with Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf (Note: You may wish to divide batter among two 8-by-4-inch loaves and reduce baking time by about 10 minutes; or bake as 3 or more mini loaves, bake in a 9-inch square pan, as 12-cup Bundt cake, or as muffins; adjusting baking times as necessary)
Makes one 9-by-5-inch loaf (Note: You may wish to divide batter among two 8-by-4-inch loaves and reduce baking time by about 10 minutes; or bake as 3 or more mini loaves, bake in a 9-inch square pan, as 12-cup Bundt cake, or as muffins; adjusting baking times as necessary)
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup mashed bananas
- 1/4 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter melted (half of one stick)
- 5-6 ounces vanilla or plain yogurt one standard-size greek-style preferred, or sour cream may be substituted; i use chobani vanilla
- 1 tablespoon unsulphered molasses optional
- 1 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1/3 cup raisins shredded carrots, shredded coconut flakes, nuts, chocolate chips, optional
- 3 1/4 oz vanilla instant pudding mix (not optional see notes below
- 1/2 teaspoon salt optional and to taste
- 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- browned butter cream cheese frosting
- makes just over 1 cup frosting
- 4 tablespoons cream cheese
- 1 1/2 cups+ confectioners’ sugar sifted
- 1 tablespoons+ cream or milk optional and to taste
- Carbohydrate 396.906119857941 g
- Cholesterol 1318.7825002587 mg
- Fat 422.148916350366 g
- Fiber 36.7458087520991 g
- Protein 44.1196516954322 g
- Saturated Fat 261.693017562234 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (1634g)
- Sodium 5893.56487880929 mg
- Sugar 360.160311105841 g
- Trans Fat 33.7010572161624 g
- Calories 5477 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 350F, spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray with flour or grease and flour the pans; set aside.
- In a large microwave-safe mixing bowl, melt the butter, about 1 minute. To the melted butter, add the sugars, egg, yogurt, vanilla, molasses, and stir or whisk to combine. Add pumpkin puree, bananas, and stir to incorporate.
- Add the optional add-ins, dry pudding mix, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, salt, cloves and stir to combine.
- Add the flour, baking soda, and stir until just combined, taking care not to over-mix. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 60 to 68 minutes, or until top is golden and set, and a wooden skewer, cake tester, or knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow bread to cool in the loaf pan for at least 30 minutes before removing from the pan and transferring to a rack to finish cooling.
- Brown the butter in a small saucepan on the stovetop or in the microwave, heating until the sputtering, crackling, and foaming has subsided, the butter has browned, and has a nutty aroma.
- Transfer hot butter to medium-sized mixing bowl and allow it to cool for about 10 minutes. Add the cream cheese, confectioners sugar, vanilla, and whisk to combine. Based on desired frosting consistency, add the cream or milk one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. Drizzle or spread frosting over the top of the bread before slicing and serving.
- Store unfrosted bread in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or store frosted bread in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Unfrosted bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Standard banana bread relies entirely on overripe fruit starches for its structural moisture, whereas this hybrid variation introduces dense pumpkin puree and yogurt to alter the internal crumb density completely. Incorporating dry instant pudding mix introduces modified starches that bind free water molecules tightly, preventing the starches from retrograding too quickly during cold storage. When preparing the browned butter for the cream cheese frosting, watch for the cessation of sputtering and foaming over medium heat on the stovetop, which signals that the milk solids have toasted and developed nutty pyrazines without burning. Unfrosted loaves can be wrapped tightly and frozen safely for up to three months without losing structural integrity. Thaw frozen portions overnight in the refrigerator at 38 degrees Fahrenheit before applying freshly whisked frosting. As the spiced pumpkin crumb interacts with the caramelized milk solids in the fat, the Maillard reaction compounds from the butter bridge the gap between earthy squash notes and tropical fruit esters.
