Q&A for How to Make Banana Bread

You can keep the overripe bananas by freezing them; the freezing process will keep and even add to their mushiness, which is just fine for baking with! To freeze them, simply slip the overripe bananas into a resealable bag suitable for freezing. Seal it and place in the freezer. It's also fine to add more bananas to the bag in the freezer if you need to.

There isn’t a lot of difference between banana cake and banana bread, as both are made using a batter that is able to be baked quickly. Banana bread is a "quick bread," meaning that it doesn’t have to sit around proving as a standard yeast bread does, making it just like a cake. Some of the differences can include: The cake version may use cake flour while the bread version can get away with using heavier flour, a banana bread may be less sweet than a cake, a banana bread is not meant to be iced and banana bread might be served warm while the cake should be completely cooled. Even the time the baked item is to be served can determine whether or not the baker considers it is bread or cake! Since it’s a fairly subjective interpretation, feel free to call your baked banana cake/bread as you see fit.

Banana bread is what is known as a "quick bread." This means that it doesn't need time to rise as standard yeast-made bread does, but can be made into a batter and baked immediately. Since yeast is a slower rising agent, it's therefore not needed when making a quick bread such as banana bread. Instead, the baking soda or baking powder do the job of rising while the banana bread is being baked.

You can ripen bananas faster, whether unripe or already ripe but not ideal yet for banana bread, by either placing them in a paper bag or in the oven. For help on doing either of these ripening activities, see How to Make Bananas Ripen Faster .

This bread does not need to rise as it does not include yeast. Place it in the oven when you are done mixing.

Yes, that can work. Just make sure to use multiple loaf pans.

In the US, a cup is a standard unit of measurement. It could also be read as 12 ounces or 340 grams.

Cover it with plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container. This will keep the bread moist.

Yes, you can. The vanilla only adds flavor.

Yes, you can.

Sure, lots of people enjoy topping banana bread with vanilla ice cream. Feel free to add a scoop of ice cream on a slice of bread while it's still warm.

The banana bread should be a golden to dark brown after it is finished baking.