hummingbird bread with browned butter cream cheese glaze
January 14, 2013 in Breakfast, Cake, Quick Bread
There needs to be a quick bread revival. In the manner of the now-ubiquitous cupcake shop, it would be lovely if bakeries dedicated solely to the art of the lovely quick bread started popping in cities across America. There are just so many as yet unexplored options for quick bread, and we all have certainly made peace with spending $3 – $4 on individual bakery goods that we could easily make in our own kitchens. The time is nigh for a revolution that moves us beyond the typical pumpkin, banana, and zucchini options. Viva la revolution!
Quick bread is just a tad more versatile than most other similar baked goods. Need something sweet? Quick bread’s there for you. Want a treat to go along with your afternoon (or morning, this is a judgment free zone) cup of coffee, but don’t want to commit to an overwhelmingly large piece of cake, or heavily frosted cupcake? Quick bread has got your back. It’s by your side, holding you up through many a craving.
A good place to introduce this baked good into your life more frequently is by adapting popular cake recipes into quick bread format. This recipe is inspired by hummingbird cake, named for I’m not quite sure what. Sweet enough for hummingbirds to snack on? Representative of the happy-humming noise you make when you eat it? I don’t know. What I do know is that it translates very well to the loaf pan format. And the fact that it’s chock full of bananas, pineapple, and heart healthy pecans practically begs for it to be made a breakfast food. And let’s be real, when the temperature starts creeping up toward the seventies, in JANUARY, what else can you possibly console yourself with at breakfast?
Yields 1 loaf
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup chopped pecans
2 large bananas, very ripe
2o ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, well-drained
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla
2 – 3 tablespoons water
Preheat oven to 400º F, and grease standard size loaf pan.
In large bowl combine flour, brown sugar, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon, stirring to combine. Add canola oil, egg, and 1 teaspoon vanilla, mixing until just combined. Fold in pecans, banana, and pineapple. Transfer batter to prepared loaf pan and bake in heated oven until toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 50 – 60 minutes. Allow to cool before inverting pan and transferring loaf to serving dish.
To brown butter for glaze, melt butter in small frying pan over low heat. Once butter has melted, begin to whisk continuously. Butter will begin to foam; start looking for browned bits and the bottom of the pan. Continue heating until butter is lightly brown in color and begins to have a nutty aroma. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to bowl to make glaze.
To make glaze, in bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment combine browned butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon vanilla. Mix on medium-low speed until fully combined. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time until glaze reaches desired consistency. Spoon glaze over cooled bread, allowing glaze to drip down sides of loaf. To serve, slice loaf into 1/2-inch thick slices.
nutrition information:
serving size: 1/16 loaf
calories: 155 • fat: 4.6 g • protein: 2.o g • carb: 26.8 g • fiber: 0.6 g •
sugar: 16.0 g • sodium: 201 mg
I just made this without the glaze. I know the glaze would be yummy, but it’s really good without too.