Category: Loaves

Double Chocolate Banana Bread with Maple Espresso Icing

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

Double Chocolate Banana Bread with Maple Espresso Icing

Tender, moist chocolate banana bread loaded with mini chocolate chips, topped with maple espresso icing by Brownie Mischief
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

  • 1 ¼ cups (160g) all purpose flour, sifted plus 1 teaspoon for the mini chocolate chips
  • â…“ cup (30g) Dutch process unsweetened dark cocoa powder, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (75g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (115m) vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…“ cup (78ml) buttermilk
  • â…” cup (160g) mashed very ripe bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
  • ½ cup (85g) mini semisweet chocolate chips

Maple Espresso Icing

  • 1 ½ tablespoons (23ml) maple syrup
  • 2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) heavy cream
  • 1 teaspoon espresso powder
  • ½ teaspoon pure maple extract
  • 1 cup (120g) powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions
 

Double Chocolate Banana Bread

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch or 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the inside of the baking pan with a mixture of equal parts flour and cocoa powder.
  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon until well combined.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together, by hand or with an electric mixer, the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth and well blended. Stir in the mashed bananas. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. In a small bowl, toss the mini chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour, then stir them into the batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the loaf pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 45-55 minutes. If you hit melted chocolate chips, insert another toothpick in a different spot. You can also use an instant read thermometer to check for doneness. The internal temperature should be approximately 200ºF (95ºC). Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then remove it from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack.

Maple Espresso Icing

  • In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, 2 tablespoons of cream, the espresso powder and maple extract, until the espresso powder is dissolved. Gradually whisk in the powdered sugar and continue whisking until well combined. Add additional cream until the desired consistency is reached. whisk until smooth. Spread the icing over the top of the cooled loaf.

Notes

To find the loaf pan I used, click here.
Keyword banana, chocolate, loaf

Mocha Pumpkin Spice Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
Mocha Pumpkin Spice Bread

It wouldn’t be fall without PSL’s and pumpkin bread. This ultra moist, plush version of pumpkin bread has mocha batter swirled through it and a rich chocolate glaze that takes it over the top. It’s dangerously delicious and nearly impossible to eat just one slice. I think this might just become your new favorite fall baking recipe.

 

Mocha Pumpkin Spice Bread

by Mari Vasseur
Soft, ultra moist pumpkin spice bread, swirled with mocha and topped with a shiny chocolate glaze
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Mocha Pumpkin Spice Bread

  • 1 cup (128g) all purpose flour, sifted Plus extra for dusting the pan
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • â…” cup (152ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice, divided
  • ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup (59ml) evaporated milk (not sweetened condensed milk)
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (180g) canned pure pumpkin purée (not pumpkin pie filling)
  • 2 tablespoons (11g) unsweetened dark dutch process cocoa powder Plus extra for dusting the pan
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons espresso powder

Chocolate Glaze

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 3 ounces (85g) semisweet or dark chocolate bar, chopped
  • 1 ½ tablespoons (23g) corn syrup or 1 tablespoon (21g) honey

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides with a mixture of equal parts unsweetened cocoa powder and flour.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt until well blended.
  • Set aside one tablespoon (15ml) of the oil. In a large bowl, beat the remaining oil, the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Beat in the pumpkin purée until incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Place one cup (237g) of the batter in a separate medium-sized bowl. Add the cocoa powder, espresso powder and the reserved one tablespoon of oil. Mix until incorporated.
  • Place half of the pumpkin batter into the baking pan. Scoop the mocha batter into the pan, alternating with scoops of the remaining pumpkin batter. Swirl the batter with a skewer. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached (not wet batter), about 35-45 minutes. Let the loaf cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn the loaf out and continue cooling on a cooling rack.

Chocolate Glaze

  • Melt the butter, chocolate, and corn syrup together in a medium-sized heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the water doesn't touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir gently until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly then spoon the glaze over the cooled loaf and let it drip down the sides.

Notes

To find the 9 x 5 inch loaf pan I used, click here.
Keyword cake, loaf, mocha, pumpkin spice

Butterscotch Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

What’s better than the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking or of fresh coffee brewing? The aroma of this warm, sweet buttery loaf of Butterscotch Bread is so heavenly that I’m convinced that angel grandmothers bake this on a regular basis in heaven. The rich scent is accompanied by a soft, tender bread topped with a silky butterscotch glaze.

It all starts with browning your butter first. It adds a nutty, deep butter flavor. When browning your butter, use a light colored saucepan so you can see the visual clues. You’ll see it start to foam and brown specks will collect on the bottom of the pan. It will smell nutty and fragrant. Keep a close eye on it. It can go from brown to burnt in a quick second. When your brown butter has cooled to room temperature, the rest of the recipe comes together quickly. You can also brown your butter a day ahead and keep it in the refrigerator. Bring it to room temperate before using.

This delightful bread goes well with coffee or tea and is just as delicious the next day. Store covered at room temperature.

 

Butterscotch Bread

by Mari Vasseur
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

Butterscotch Bread

  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter
  • 1 ¾ cups (220g all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine seat salt
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (177ml) buttermilk

Butterscotch Glaze

  • ¼ cup (57g) unsalted butter
  • ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar
  • â…› teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ cup (59ml) heavy whipping cream
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions
 

Butterscotch Bread

  • In a small saucepan, cook the butter over medium heat until brown and fragrant. When brown specks begin to form at the bottom of the pan, immediately transfer the butter to a small bowl. Let cool to room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 x 4-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, beat the brown butter, brown sugar, eggs, vanilla and buttermilk until smooth and creamy. Stir in the flour mixture in two additions. Mix just until combined.
  • Transfer the batter to prepared baking pan. Bake until the top is deep golden brown and a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 38-43 minutes.
  • Let the bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, them turn it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Top the cooled cake with two coats of butterscotch glaze.

Butterscotch Glaze

  • Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the brown sugar and salt. Continue stirring over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil. Boil for two minutes.
  • Turn the heat down and slowly stir in the heavy cream. Keep stirring until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
  • Transfer the butterscotch glaze to a small bowl and let cool until thickened.
Keyword butterscotch, cake, loaf

Pink Lemonade Cake

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

This cheerful little loaf cake feels like a spring or summer picnic with lemonade and sunshine. It’s similar to a pink lemonade cake that my elderly neighbor used to make when I was growing up. She made it for all the neighborhood kids and we always gobbled it up. When I was about ten years old she taught my friend and me how to make it. She used a yellow cake mix in a large baking pan and poked holes all over the cake, then drenched it in a pink, sugary lemon icing. I transformed that happy pink lemonade memory into a delightful loaf cake made from scratch.

To watch the TikTok video, click here.

Pink Lemonade Cake

A tender, moist loaf cake that tastes just like pink lemonade
Print Recipe
Course Brunch, Dessert
Servings 1 8 x 4-inch loaf

Ingredients
  

Pink Lemonade Cake

  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (5 oz or 142g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 59ml) whole milk
  • ¼ cup (2 oz or 59ml) sour cream
  • 1 cup (7 oz or 200g) sugar
  • ½ cup vegetable oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest
  • 1 ½ teaspoons strawberry extract
  • 1-2 drops pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink*

Lemon Syrup

  • juice of one lemon
  • ¼ cup (1 3/4 oz or 50g) sugar

Icing

  • 2 tablespoons (1 oz or 28g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (4 oz or 113g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 2-2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon strawberry extract
  • pinch fine sea salt
  • 1 tiny drop pink gel food color I used Americolor deep pink*

Instructions
 

Pink Lemonade Cake

  • Preheat oven to 325ºF (163ºC). Line the bottom of an 8 X 4-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the sides.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and sour cream.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sugar, oil, eggs, lemon zest and strawberry extract until smooth.
  • Stir in the flour mixture in two additions, alternating with the milk mixture. Stir just until combined. Stir in food color a little at time until your desired shade is achieved.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared baking pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare lemon syrup.
  • Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove from pan and transfer to a cooling rack. Poke holes all over the top of cake with a skewer.
  • Brush the warm cake generously with the lemon syrup. Let the cake cool completely, then top with icing.

Lemon Syrup

  • In a small saucepan, combine the juice of one lemon with enough water to equal 1/4 cup. Add sugar and stir over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.

Icing

  • In a medium bowl, beat the butter, powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, the strawberry extract and a pinch of salt, until smooth. Add more lemon juice until your desired consistency is reached. Mix in gel food color.

Notes

*To find the gel food color I used, click here.
Keyword cake, pink lemonade

Favorite Banana Bread

Posted on by Mari Vasseur

This moist, flavorful banana bread is my favorite banana bread recipe to date. It has the perfect texture. Not mushy or gummy like so many banana bread recipes out there. I like to add chocolate chips and/or toasted pecans to make it extra delicious.

 

Favorite Banana Bread

by Mari Vasseur
Moist, flavorful banana bread with chocolate chips and optional pecans
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 1 loaf

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted, plus 1 teaspoon for the chocolate chips
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg, preferably freshly ground
  • 1 cup (200g) packed brown sugar
  • â…“ cup (70ml) avocado oil or neutral oil of your choice
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • ½ cup (113g) sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt, room temperature
  • 1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ cup (170g) mashed bananas (about 2 medium bananas)
  • ½ cup (60g) coarsely chopped toasted pecans optional
  • 2 tablespoons (15g) chopped pecans optional
  • 1 ¼ cups (213g) semisweet chocolate chips, divided

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (165ºC). Line the bottom an 8 x 4-inch or a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the insides.
  • In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg until well blended.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla until creamy and well blended. Stir in the bananas until incorporated. Mix in the flour mixture just until combined. Do not over mix. Stir in the 1/2 cup of pecans if using. If using chocolate chips, set aside 1/4 cup (43g) for the top and toss the remaining 1 cup (170g) of chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of flour, then mix them into the batter.
  • Transfer the batter to the prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle the loaf with the chopped pecans or 1/4 cup (43g) of chocolate chips. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, about 40-50 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove the loaf from the pan and transfer it to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Keyword banana, loaf

 

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Caramel Filling

Posted on by Mari Vasseur
pumpkin spices mini loaves with caramel filling

In early September, I saw someone announce the fall season on social media. In addition to people pointing out that it was too early for the announcement, the word police corrected the person with the word autumn. Since both terms are correct, we can call the season whatever we prefer. I think autumn is a pleasant sounding word, so I’ll use it for the rest of this post. Whatever you call it, these Pumpkin Spice Muffins are a perfect little celebration of the season. They have just the right amount of warm spices, making them so fragrant that your kitchen will smell like cozy autumn heaven.

pumpkin spices mini loaves with caramel filling

I originally made them in mini loaf pans, but I thought they would be cute as muffins too. They’re so cute and delicious that I often give them as holiday gifts. This year I decided to try them in ramekins and I loved the results! I used 6-ounce ramekins, but you can use 8-ounce ramekins, any size mini loaf pans, a muffin pan or even an 8 or 9-inch loaf pan. Keep in mind that baking times will differ. To find the ramekins I used, click here.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins with Caramel Filling

by Mari Vasseur
Tender pumpkin spice muffins with caramel filling and luscious cream cheese frosting
Print Recipe
Course Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
Servings 7 muffins

Ingredients
  

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves

  • 1 ½ cups (191g) all purpose flour, sifted
  • 1 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
  • ½ teaspoon ground ginger
  • â…› teaspoon ground nutmeg preferably freshly ground
  • 1 pinch ground cloves
  • ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup (225g) pure pumpkin purée
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • â…“ cup (100g) caramel sauce, purchased or homemade
  • ¼ cup (28g) roasted, salted shelled pumpkin seeds

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 3 ounces (85g) cream cheese, softened
  • 6 tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 pinch fine sea salt
  • 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1-2 teaspoons heavy cream, room temperature

Instructions
 

Pumpkin Spice Mini Loaves

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease and flour seven 6-ounce ramekins or six 8-ounce ramekins or any mini loaf pans of your choice.
  • In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cloves until well blended.
  • In a separate large bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar together, with an electric mixer at medium speed, until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Beat in the pumpkin purée and vanilla extract until well blended. Stir in the flour mixture just until combined.
  • Divide the batter evenly into the prepared ramekins. Bake for 15-25 minutes or until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake.
  • Cool completely if serving in ramekins or remove from pans after cooling for 10 minutes. Continue to cool on wire rack.
  • Make 3/4-inch wells in the center of each muffin. Fill with caramel sauce. (For loaves, poke multiple holes with a skewer. Fill with caramel sauce.) Top with cream cheese frosting and pumpkin seeds

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together, with an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth and well blended. Do not over beat.
  • Add the vanilla extract and salt and beat until combined. On low speed, gradually beat in the powdered sugar incorporated. Add the heavy cream and continue beating at low speed smooth. Remove any bubbles by gently stirring with a spatula.
Keyword muffins, pumpkin, pumpkin spice