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Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray, for the pan
- ½ cup Demerara sugar
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 large egg
- 5 extremely ripe bananas, 4 coarsely mashed and 1 sliced lengthwise
- ½ cup mascarpone, full-fat sour cream, or full-fat yogurt (4 ounces)
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 ° F. Spray a 9 x 4-inch loaf pan with nonstick spray. Sugar the inside of the pan with ¼ cup of the Demerara sugar (or regular sugar if you don’t have Demerara), tapping out any excess.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt together; set aside.
Using an electric mixer and a separate medium bowl or a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and vanilla on high speed until the mixture is super light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Using a spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the egg. Beat until well combined and the mixture returns to that previously light, fluffy state, about 2 minutes. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients and beat just to blend. Using a spatula, fold in the mashed bananas, followed by the mascarpone, mixing just to blend.
Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan, smoothing the top. Place the banana halves, cut-side up, on top of the batter. Sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup Demerara sugar and bake until the sides start to pull away and the cake is baked through in the center (it’s a very dense, moist cake, but it should still spring back slightly when pressed in the center), 90 to 100 minutes.
Let cool completely before slicing.
NOTE: This bread will sink slightly from the weight of the banana on top— don’t worry, that’s okay. If that gives you anxiety, skip the banana on top.
DO AHEAD: Banana bread can be made 5 days ahead, wrapped tightly, and kept at room temperature.