Matcha Banana Bread, No Butter

Very ripe bananas mash with a fork without leaving firm pieces in the batter. With 7.8 oz (220 g) fruit and about 5 tsp (10 g) matcha, they make a banana bread you can cut into eight slices. Allow 1 hour 45 minutes, including cooling.

This moist crumb calls for checking the center rather than judging by the crust. To vary your breakfast format, our matcha breakfast ideas range from bowls to bars and bites.

• Prep 20 minutes
• Bake 55 minutes
• Cool 30 minutes
• Total 1 hour 45 minutes
• Yield 8 slices
• Equipment 9-inch (22 cm) by 4-inch (10 cm) loaf pan, parchment paper, two bowls, fork, whisk, sieve, spatula, cooling rack, and oven

We choose bananas ripe enough to disappear into the mixture. If they're still firm, the crumb will be less even. This cake isn't marbled or a reproduction of the cakes sold by Kura-ge.

Ingredients for matcha banana bread

• 7.8 oz (220 g) ripe banana, peeled
• 7 oz (200 g) wheat flour
• About 5 tsp (10 g) matcha
• About 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• 2.8 oz (80 g) sugar
• 2 medium eggs, about 3.5 oz (100 g) without shells
• About 4 2/3 tbsp (70 ml) sunflower oil

Mash the bananas, mix, and bake

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) with conventional heat.
2. Line a 9-inch (22 cm) by 4-inch (10 cm) loaf pan with parchment paper.
3. Mash the 7.8 oz (220 g) peeled ripe banana with a fork in a bowl.
4. Whisk the 2 eggs, about 3.5 oz (100 g) without shells, with the 2.8 oz (80 g) sugar in a second bowl.
5. Whisk in about 4 2/3 tbsp (70 ml) sunflower oil.
6. Add the mashed banana to the liquid mixture.
7. Sift the 7 oz (200 g) flour, about 5 tsp (10 g) matcha, and about 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder into the first, now-empty bowl.
8. Pour the dry ingredients over the liquid ingredients.
9. Mix with a spatula until no dry flour remains.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
11. Bake for 55 minutes at 350°F (175°C), until a knife inserted in the center comes out without raw batter.
12. Cool the cake in its pan for 10 minutes.
13. Remove it from the pan onto a rack.
14. Cool it for another 20 minutes on the rack.
15. Cut the cake into eight slices.

If the knife comes out with raw batter, bake for a few more minutes. The banana keeps the crumb moist even when the crust has colored. We wait until it has cooled on the rack before slicing so the pieces hold together.

With or without dark chocolate?

For a chocolate variation, add 2.1 oz (60 g) dark chocolate pieces just before pouring the batter into the pan. Keep the center doneness test. The cake remains a matcha banana bread without a marbled effect.

Which matcha works in banana bread?

For this baked fruit cake, we choose Essence, our matcha for baking. Banana and baking mask the nuances we'd look for in a cup made with water. Sift about 5 tsp (10 g) powder with the flour to distribute it through the crumb.

Our tip. Mash the banana before beating the eggs. You can then use the emptied bowl for the dry ingredients instead of adding a third one.

Allergens. Wheat (gluten) and eggs. Check the chocolate you choose for allergens in the variation.