Mariangela's Olive Oil Banana Bread Recipe

Olive Oil Banana Bread

When I visited Italy this past summer, I stayed with my darling friend Mariangela. Mari cooks like the free spirit she is. No recipes. No rules. Her style is beautifully Italian. Some fresh produce from the fruttivendolo down the street, a few generous glugs of the liquid gold olive oil from her hometown in Calabria, and magic just happens. I learned on this last stay that Mari apparently bakes in a similar fashion.

Bellissima Mariangela

On a weekly, sometimes twice-weekly basis, Mari would whip together a simple breakfast cake, "Because mornings are so much easier when there's cake," she'd say. I know, don't you just love her? This cake is super easy, the kind of cake you can throw together without any fuss. All it takes is flour, sugar, eggs, olive oil, yogurt, vanilla, baking powder, salt, and ripe fruit. Mari mostly made a banana version, but while I was there we experimented with using some divinely sweet and juicy peaches -- highly recommended. I need to do some more testing, but I suspect berries would also work well in this versatile cake.

EVOO: good thing we came home with 30 liters

A good amount of fruity extra virgin olive oil adds some great flavor (and less guilt) to this breakfast-snack-dessert cake. Yogurt is the other binder. A full-fat cream top yogurt or Greek yogurt would be the closest thing to the ultra creamy, thick European yogurt we used in Italy. If you're looking to save a few calories though, low-fat yogurt works just fine.

Olive Oil Banana Bread Ingredients

Oh, and then of course, you need a few ripe bananas. Extra spotted please. Also, Mari's original recipe called for una bustina di lievito per dolci, which I gathered to be a mixture of baking powder and vanilla powder. I estimated the amounts…if anyone can confirm what exactly is in a bustina, please share.

It's really this easy

The lesson that I really took away from my cake making sessions with Mari is that baking doesn't always have to be such a to-do. I mean, this girl's mode of measuring was an old plastic yogurt cup. She used a fork to mix everything together. We ran out of sugar and resorted to emptying little packets of sugar from the coffee shop downstairs. No biggie.

This smells incredible

So loosen up. And have some cake for breakfast.

Olive Oil Banana Bread

*****
Recipe: Mariangela's Olive Oil Banana Bread
This delicious banana bread (a.k.a. breakfast cake) is easy, fuss-free, and made with fruity olive oil and creamy yogurt. As Mari says, "Because mornings are so much easier when there's cake."

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Makes: 8 servings

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
3/4 cup olive oil
3/4 cup yogurt
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 F.
In a large bowl, mix together the mashed bananas, olive oil, yogurt, eggs, and vanilla.
In another bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and fold until everything is combined. Pour into a well-greased or parchment paper-lined pan (8.5" x 8.5" pan, bundt cake pan, skillet, or traditional loaf pan would all work).
Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.