I made three loaves of banana bread. They rose so beautifully.
Browned on top without cracking. Looked great! I tested them with
toothpicks and the toothpicks came out clean. I figured I had some
AWESOME presents. Set them aside to cool and low-and-behold, every
one imploded! What happened?! I've never seen this before.

The Ranger

--

Banana Bread w/ nuts

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 ripe bananas
2 cups walnuts, chopped
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas, eggs, and flour; mix with
creamed sugar-butter. Add nuts, salt, and baking soda. Mix in until
no dumplings are swirling about.

In a greased loaf pan, pour in mix to midway point of pan. Remember
to not overfill pan. Adorn with walnut halves along top. Place pan
into oven for 25 minutes at 350°F, or until brown on top. Reduce
heat to 325°F and bake another 35 minutes.

Test with toothpick or straw. When testing stick comes away clean,
bread is done cooking. Set on countertop to cool.

Lightly dust with powdered sugar.

Don't know what happen but when I make any kind of bread, I always tip the
plan on it's side to let them cool off first before I do anything with them.
That may be a factor with yours. My mom taught me to do that. Hope things
work out better the next time, Carol In WI

that sounds like a huge amount of sugar, my recipe calls for 3/4 c.;
3/4 tsp baking soda (1/2 tsp salt) and just 6 tbls butter.

In article >,
The Ranger > wrote:

> 1 cup butter
> 2 cups sugar
> 3 ripe bananas
> 2 cups walnuts, chopped
> 2 eggs
> 2 cups flour
> 1 tsp salt
> 2 tsp baking soda


That sounds like a *really* heavy cake, with all that sugar and
butter... and everything else, for that matter. I wonder if it collapsed
under its own weight.

The King Arthur Flour's Baker's Companion, by contrast, has the
following:

1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
1 cup mashed banana (2-3 very ripe, large bananas)
1 cup chopped walnuts
2 large eggs
2-2/3 cups unbleached AP flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 cup yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream

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On 22 Dec 2004 07:46:58 -0800, "Marge" >
wrote:
> that sounds like a huge amount of sugar, my
> recipe calls for 3/4 c.; 3/4 tsp baking soda
> (1/2 tsp salt) and just 6 tbls butter.

It's the same recipe I've been using for the last 15 years. Most of
the time the loaves crack down the middle but since Clan Ranger's
the only one eating them, ascetics don't matter that much. The one
time the loaves "Look Mahrvehlous, Darlingk!" they implode like
someone slammed a door. (BTW: No doors were taken off hinges or
sonic booms recorded during the baking session.)

The Ranger

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 11:39:03 -0500, Scott
> wrote:
> In article >, The Ranger > wrote:
> > 1 cup butter
> > 2 cups sugar
> > 3 ripe bananas
> > 2 cups walnuts, chopped
> > 2 eggs
> > 2 cups flour
> > 1 tsp salt
> > 2 tsp baking soda
> >
> That sounds like a *really* heavy cake, with all that sugar
> and butter... and everything else, for that matter. I wonder
> if it collapsed under its own weight.

Hmm. It hasn't in the past but I'm at a complete loss as to why it
did.

I'm also going to give the recipe below a try (having some
specialty baking flour vac-sealed in my pantry.) Thanks!

> The King Arthur Flour's Baker's Companion, by contrast,
> has the following:
>
> 1/3 cup vegetable oil
> 1 cup sugar
> 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 very ripe, large bananas)
> 1 cup chopped walnuts
> 2 large eggs
> 2-2/3 cups unbleached AP flour
> 1 tsp salt
> 1 tsp baking soda
> 1 tsp baking powder
> 2 tsp vanilla extract
> 1 tsp cinnamon
> 1/2 tsp nutmeg
> 1 cup yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream

The Ranger

In article >,
The Ranger > wrote:

> I'm also going to give the recipe below a try (having some
> specialty baking flour vac-sealed in my pantry.) Thanks!
>
> > The King Arthur Flour's Baker's Companion, by contrast,
> > has the following:
> >
> > 1/3 cup vegetable oil
> > 1 cup sugar
> > 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 very ripe, large bananas)
> > 1 cup chopped walnuts
> > 2 large eggs
> > 2-2/3 cups unbleached AP flour
> > 1 tsp salt
> > 1 tsp baking soda
> > 1 tsp baking powder
> > 2 tsp vanilla extract
> > 1 tsp cinnamon
> > 1/2 tsp nutmeg
> > 1 cup yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream

Well, the instructions might be helpful:


Oven to 350 F

Beat: eggs, sugar, oil. Blend in mashed bananas and vanilla.

Whisk AND SIFT: baking soda, baking powder, salt cinnamon, nutmeg, and
flour. Combine thoroughly. Add to banana mixture and mix quickly but
thoroughly. Stir in yogurt, mixing until just combined.

Pour into greased/floured 9 x 5" loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and remove
when a tester comes out clean. If the cake browns prematurely, tent with
aluminum foil after 40 minutes in oven.

--
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In article >,
The Ranger > wrote:

> I'm also going to give the recipe below a try (having some
> specialty baking flour vac-sealed in my pantry.) Thanks!
>
> > The King Arthur Flour's Baker's Companion, by contrast,
> > has the following:
> >
> > 1/3 cup vegetable oil
> > 1 cup sugar
> > 1 cup mashed banana (2-3 very ripe, large bananas)
> > 1 cup chopped walnuts
> > 2 large eggs
> > 2-2/3 cups unbleached AP flour
> > 1 tsp salt
> > 1 tsp baking soda
> > 1 tsp baking powder
> > 2 tsp vanilla extract
> > 1 tsp cinnamon
> > 1/2 tsp nutmeg
> > 1 cup yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream

Well, the instructions might be helpful:


Oven to 350 F

Beat: eggs, sugar, oil. Blend in mashed bananas and vanilla.

Whisk AND SIFT: baking soda, baking powder, salt cinnamon, nutmeg, and
flour. Combine thoroughly. Add to banana mixture and mix quickly but
thoroughly. Stir in yogurt, mixing until just combined.

Pour into greased/floured 9 x 5" loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour and remove
when a tester comes out clean. If the cake browns prematurely, tent with
aluminum foil after 40 minutes in oven.

--
to respond (OT only), change "spamless.invalid" to "optonline.net"

<http://www.thecoffeefaq.com/>

"The Ranger" wrote:
> It's the same recipe I've been using for the last 15 years. Most of
> the time the loaves crack down the middle but since Clan Ranger's
> the only one eating them, ascetics don't matter that much. The one
> time the loaves "Look Mahrvehlous, Darlingk!" they implode like
> someone slammed a door. (BTW: No doors were taken off hinges or
> sonic booms recorded during the baking session.)

Do you have an oven thermometer, darlingk? How many loaves did you have in
the oven at once?

(sounds to me like you had temperature fluctuation)

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 21:34:59 -0700, "pennyaline"
> asked after I
wrote:
> > It's the same recipe I've been using for the last 15 years.
> > Most of the time the loaves crack down the middle but
> > since Clan Ranger's the only one eating them, ascetics
> > don't matter that much. The one time the loaves "Look
> > Mahrvehlous, Darlingk!" they implode like someone
> > slammed a door. (BTW: No doors were taken off hinges
> > or sonic booms recorded during the baking session.)
> >
> Do you have an oven thermometer, darlingk? How many
> loaves did you have in the oven at once?
>
> (sounds to me like you had temperature fluctuation)

Yes; it's mechanically attached to one very-active FIL that lives
by the 70's cliche, "We have the technology. We build'em faster,
stronger."

As far as quantity; five mini-loaves. I normally cook two regular
loaves together.

The Ranger

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 21:34:59 -0700, "pennyaline"
> asked after I
wrote:
> > It's the same recipe I've been using for the last 15 years.
> > Most of the time the loaves crack down the middle but
> > since Clan Ranger's the only one eating them, ascetics
> > don't matter that much. The one time the loaves "Look
> > Mahrvehlous, Darlingk!" they implode like someone
> > slammed a door. (BTW: No doors were taken off hinges
> > or sonic booms recorded during the baking session.)
> >
> Do you have an oven thermometer, darlingk? How many
> loaves did you have in the oven at once?
>
> (sounds to me like you had temperature fluctuation)

Yes; it's mechanically attached to one very-active FIL that lives
by the 70's cliche, "We have the technology. We build'em faster,
stronger."

As far as quantity; five mini-loaves. I normally cook two regular
loaves together.

The Ranger

On Wed, 22 Dec 2004 08:57:50 -0800, The Ranger
> wrote:

> On 22 Dec 2004 07:46:58 -0800, "Marge" >
> wrote:
> > that sounds like a huge amount of sugar, my
> > recipe calls for 3/4 c.; 3/4 tsp baking soda
> > (1/2 tsp salt) and just 6 tbls butter.
>
> It's the same recipe I've been using for the last 15 years. Most of
> the time the loaves crack down the middle but since Clan Ranger's
> the only one eating them, ascetics don't matter that much. The one
> time the loaves "Look Mahrvehlous, Darlingk!" they implode like
> someone slammed a door. (BTW: No doors were taken off hinges or
> sonic booms recorded during the baking session.)
>
Sounds like one of two problems... did you open the oven
door while baking? Did you test prob them with a toothpick
for doneness?


sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments

sf > wrote in message
...
[snip Banana Bread Implosion]
> Sounds like one of two problems... did you open the oven
> door while baking? Did you test prob them with a toothpick
> for doneness?

Yes to both; I opened the oven to use a toothpick to test for
doneness. When the toothpick came out covered with dough, I closed
the oven and timed it for 15 more minutes. A check at five minutes
didn't show them deflated. A check at the final buzzer showed five
loaves that had been vacu-sucked into their respective foil pans.

BTW: I remade the loaves yesterday under the watchful eye of my
MIL; the recipe was her mother's. All five loaves turned out fine;
slightly cracked, but nothing that would prevent me from serving
them during dessert. She also thought it might have been the baking
soda. I also swapped out the baking powder since I had an unopened
extra available. Maybe those two items were the difference.

The Ranger

"The Ranger" wrote in message

<snipped>
>
> BTW: I remade the loaves yesterday under the watchful eye of my
> MIL; the recipe was her mother's. All five loaves turned out fine;
> slightly cracked, but nothing that would prevent me from serving
> them during dessert. She also thought it might have been the baking
> soda. I also swapped out the baking powder since I had an unopened
> extra available. Maybe those two items were the difference.
>
> The Ranger

About the cracking - there was a thread on this a few months ago and
everyone agreed that it seemed to be the norm in quick breads. I know I've
baked many a loaf of banana bread and I haven't had one that didn't crack.
Sounds like the batter was a little too wet?

Dora

On Sun, 26 Dec 2004 10:47:31 -0800, "The Ranger"
> wrote:

> sf > wrote in message
> ...
> [snip Banana Bread Implosion]
> > Sounds like one of two problems... did you open the oven
> > door while baking? Did you test prob them with a toothpick
> > for doneness?
>
> Yes to both; I opened the oven to use a toothpick to test for
> doneness. When the toothpick came out covered with dough, I closed
> the oven and timed it for 15 more minutes. A check at five minutes
> didn't show them deflated. A check at the final buzzer showed five
> loaves that had been vacu-sucked into their respective foil pans.
>

The reason I asked about opening the oven before they
finished baking is because my daughter make mini-banana
bread on Friday too. She opened the oven door by mistake
because she'd forgotten which one she was baking them in
(I'd switched what she had in the top oven to the bottom
one), so hers also fell. Not as badly as yours from the
sounds of it, but they didn't have that nice dome either.

sf
Practice safe eating - always use condiments

I will just add my two pfennig worth here. If your banana bread did
*not* crack (as it should) it is because you over mixed. Quick breads,
muffins, pancakes and the like need only a few swift folds to moisten,
perhaps 10 swoops with your spatula, and that is all. A sure sign of
overmixing--a smooth top. Zee


The Ranger wrote:
> I made three loaves of banana bread. They rose so beautifully.
> Browned on top without cracking. Looked great! I tested them with
> toothpicks and the toothpicks came out clean. I figured I had some
> AWESOME presents. Set them aside to cool and low-and-behold, every
> one imploded! What happened?! I've never seen this before.
>
> The Ranger
>
> --
>
> Banana Bread w/ nuts
>
> 1 cup butter
> 2 cups sugar
> 3 ripe bananas
> 2 cups walnuts, chopped
> 2 eggs
> 2 cups flour
> 1 tsp salt
> 2 tsp baking soda
>
> Preheat oven to 350=B0F.
>
> Cream butter and sugar. Add bananas, eggs, and flour; mix with
> creamed sugar-butter. Add nuts, salt, and baking soda. Mix in until
> no dumplings are swirling about.
>
> In a greased loaf pan, pour in mix to midway point of pan. Remember
> to not overfill pan. Adorn with walnut halves along top. Place pan
> into oven for 25 minutes at 350=B0F, or until brown on top. Reduce
> heat to 325=B0F and bake another 35 minutes.
>
> Test with toothpick or straw. When testing stick comes away clean,
> bread is done cooking. Set on countertop to cool.
>=20
> Lightly dust with powdered sugar.