Sweet Cherry Banana Bread

Quick breads are a true Southern staple – offering just the right bite for breakfast, afternoon tea, a light dessert or a quick snack when you’re on the go. Most often made with fruit and nuts, quick breads are sweet but not overwhelmingly so. This takes a spin using a classic recipe, banana nut bread, and pairs it with a favorite summer fruit.

If you made a list of beloved summer fruits, cherries with their deep crimson color, would most definitely be included. My Grandparents had a beautiful cherry tree at their home in the Texas Panhandle. We would gather small baskets of this gorgeous stone fruit and wait anxiously as my Grandmother would turn them into a divine cherry pie or cobbler. But cherry season is fleeting, fall is on the horizon and luckily this recipe offers up a delicious option.

Sweet cherries are the key player in this loaf and one not often thought of for quick breads. The cherries are paired with bananas to bring an added tenderness to the bread, plus toasted almonds all swirled in a luscious batter with additional notes of almond and vanilla. Baked until golden as the bread’s delicate fragrance dances through the air.

This is an old recipe that I’ve flipped over for many years, but it’s always had my eye. I finally made it a point to give it a try. The result is a delightful bread with the flavors of cherry, banana, and almond mingled in every bite. And the great thing, whether it’s cherry season or not, this bread can always be on the menu because it’s made with canned sweet cherries. And for a light lift and a tender crumb, baking soda is mixed with buttermilk.

You want dark cherries packed in a heavy syrup, not the thick pie filling – that type that made the rounds in the 60s and 70s. Just drain the juice off the cherries, give them a quick chop and stir them into the batter.

Not sure why I waited so many years to make this delicious loaf!

Sweet Cherry Banana Bread

1 cup butter, room temperature

3 cups sugar

4 extra-large eggs room temperature

4-¾ cups flour

3 teaspoons baking soda

2 cups buttermilk

2 cans sweet cherries in juice, 15-ounces each

2 very ripe bananas, mashed – about 1 cup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon pure almond extract

1 cup toasted chopped almonds

Preheat the oven to 350-degrees. Drain the cherries, transfer to a cutting board and give them a rough chop.

Beat the butter until creamy and smooth. Slowly add the sugar to the butter, beating on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating in on low speed.

In a separate bowl or large measuring cup, whisk the buttermilk with the baking soda. (I use a 4-cup measuring cup to allow room for the buttermilk to expand – and it will expand!)

Blend the flour into the batter on low speed adding about a cup at a time alternating with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour.

Blend just until the flour is mixed into the batter.

Add the chopped cherries, mashed bananas, toasted almonds along with the vanilla extract and almond extract. Blend in using low speed.

Scoop the batter into 3 small (8.5” x 4.5”) loaf pans that have been greased and floured or sprayed with cooking spray. You can also spray the pans with cooking spray, line with parchment paper, then give the parchment a quick spray. This is my preferred method as it makes it easy to remove the loaves.

Bake the bread at 350-degrees for 55-60 minutes for the small loaves or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If the bread starts to brown too much on top, loosely cover the loaves with foil. Cool the bread in the pans for 10 minutes then remove the loaves and cool completely on a wire rack.

This bread freezes beautifully. To freeze, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and slide it into a freezer bag. Makes 3 small loaves.

For gorgeous flavors and extracts, look no further than Nielsen-Massey, including their Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract https://go.shopmy.us/p-20363528 and their pure almond extract. https://go.shopmy.us/p-20363535

If you love to bake, KitchenAid’s 7-quart mixer will not disappoint. https://go.shopmy.us/p-19176151

Parchment paper has so many uses in the kitchen. From roasting vegetables to rolling dough, baking pastries, and lining baking pans, keep a roll in your pantry. https://go.shopmy.us/p-53733781 (I use binder clips to hold the paper in place while the bread bakes.) Using the recommended size baking pan is key to a successful outcome. Williams Sonoma has two great options. One fashioned from heavy-gauge aluminum-coated steel to promote even baking for consistent results https://go.shopmy.us/p-38502596 and their Goldtouch Pro collection, offering durable stick resistant pans. https://go.shopmy.us/p-78285515

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