Recipe: Chocolate-Banana Tea Loaves

CHOCOLATE-BANANA TEA LOAVES

12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted 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 unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup cold sour cream

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Smear two 5-by-9-inch loaf pans with butter and dust them lightly with flour.

Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together in a medium-sized bowl.

In a separate big bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, using the whisk attachment of electric mixer on high speed (or a sturdy wire whisk), 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 bananas, and continue mixing at low speed until all are completely incorporated into the batter.

Stir half of the sour cream into the wet ingredients with the paddle attachment of the mixer (or with a wooden spoon). Fold in half the dry ingredients. Repeat, until all the ingredients are combined and not a trace of flour remains. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pans. Make sure to divide the batter equally.

Place the loaf pans side by side on the center rack in the oven, and bake for 70 to 75 minutes. 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 pans. Remove the loaves from the oven, and set them on a wire rack for a few minutes until cool enough to touch.

To remove each loaf, place the rack over the top of the pan and quickly flip the pan so the loaf falls onto the rack. Allow to cool a bit before slicing.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes two (9x5-inch) loaves
Source: Once Upon a Tart: Soups, Salads and More by Frank Mentesana, Jerome Audureau, Carolynn Carreno