Bolo de Banana com Canela

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •20 cm square baking pan or 23 cm loaf pan
• •Large mixing bowl
• •Medium mixing bowl
• •Fork for mashing
• •Whisk
• •Spatula
• •Toothpick or thin knife for testing

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pan

   Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a 20 cm square pan or a 23 cm loaf pan with butter or oil, then dust it with flour and tap out the excess. You want a thin, even coat, not clumps. That little layer helps the cake release cleanly instead of making you dig it out with a spoon and pretend it was rustic.

2. 2

   Mash the bananas

   Peel the bananas and mash them in a large bowl with a fork until soft and mostly smooth, with a few small pieces left. The darker the bananas, the sweeter and more fragrant the cake. Green or firm bananas will give you less flavor and a drier crumb, and then you'll blame the recipe when the fruit was the problem.

3. 3

   Mix the wet base

   Add the eggs, oil, sugar, and vanilla if using. Whisk until the mixture looks glossy and even, about 1 minute. The oil keeps the cake moist for days, which matters if you're making it ahead for coffee, school snack, or that small sweet after the pê-efe.

4. 4

   Combine the dry

   In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Stir until the cinnamon is no longer sitting in brown streaks. This spreads the baking powder through the flour, so the cake rises evenly instead of making one proud hill in the middle and one sad corner beside it.

5. 5

   Make the batter

   Add the dry mixture to the banana bowl and fold with a spoon or spatula just until you don't see dry flour. Stop there. A few tiny lumps are fine. Keep stirring and the flour builds strength, which is lovely for bread and rude in cake.

6. 6

   Top and bake

   Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until the top is golden, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Wet batter means it needs more time; a bone-dry toothpick can mean you've gone too far.

7. 7

   Cool and slice

   Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes before slicing. Warm cake is tender and dramatic, and not in a helpful way. Give it a little time to set, then cut generous squares or slices. Eat one with coffee. The cook's tax applies here too.

Chef Tips

• •Use bananas with plenty of black spots, even fully dark skins if the fruit inside smells sweet, not fermented. Ripe banana is flavor, moisture, and thrift all at once.
• •No boxed cake mix. This batter is already the shortcut: one bowl for wet, one bowl for dry, no mixer, no ceremony. A packet saves almost no real time and steals the point.
• •You can use 1 cup whole-wheat flour and 1/2 cup all-purpose flour if that's what you have. All whole-wheat works, but the cake turns heavier. Honest shortcut, honest cost.
• •Add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or Brazil nuts if they're in the cupboard. Don't buy expensive nuts just to prove something. The banana and cinnamon can carry the cake by themselves.
• •Store it covered at room temperature for 2 days, or in the fridge for 5 days. Warm a slice in a dry pan for a minute and the cinnamon wakes back up.

Advance Preparation

• •Mash and freeze overripe bananas in 1 1/2 cup portions for up to 3 months. Thaw, stir the liquid back in, and use it all.
• •The cake can be baked 1 day ahead. Once cool, cover it well and keep at room temperature so the crumb stays soft.
• •Individual slices freeze well for up to 2 months. Wrap tightly, thaw at room temperature, and warm briefly before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 85g)