Mariangela’s Olive Oil Banana Bread
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
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 EVOO liquid gold 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 secret to this super moist banana bread. 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
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
Yield: 8-10 servings
Ingredients
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.
Cook’s Note: Make sure your baking powder has not expired. If it is too old your cake won’t rise properly and instead of a wonderfully spongey cake, you’ll have a dense brick on your hands.
Print RecipeThis post was published on KQED’s Bay Area Bites on March 5, 2012.
Just sayin’… love ya, mean it! 
Welcome to Lick My Spoon, a place for all things delicious. 
Oh how I want to be Italian and carefree, and how I want cake for breakfast! Love the idea of the olive oil and I bet a handful of chocolate chips or raisins would be awesome in this cake too. Thanks for sharing it!
Chocolate would be a no brainer! Some salted caramel drizzled on top would also put this over the top. Enjoy!
YES! I love here! Cake and pie for breakfast are two of my favorite things. At least once a week, I make some form of banana bread. I can’t wait to give this olive oil one a try. Have you ever made it with less sugar or an artificial one? My boyfriends diabetic, so often I have to “make” recipes work. Though, I’ve never used a plastic cup to measure. At least not for baking!
Hmm..I’ve never tried using artificial sugar…I’m sure you could experiment though — this recipe is not too fussy.
I have a strange mild allergy to raw banana but not baked! I must try this
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Try it! Let me know what you think
Banana bread has been my favorite ever since I was a little girl. I can not wait to try this recipe. I would love to travel the world and bake all sorts of desserts.
Traveling and baking
love it
I made this today adding about 1/4 c. chocolate chips and baking in muffins tins. Delicious and certainly more cakelike than typical banana bread. I used 4 small bananas.
Sounds delish, Holly! Glad you enjoyed it
Made this today with a natural, organic butter flavored evoo (no actual butter in it) that I got in a specialty store here in town. Added a whole vanilla bean, a splash of dark rum & used organic cane sugar. And to bump up the antioxidants~some finely chopped dark chocolate. Topped it with a sprinkle of cinnamon and… delicious! Will definitely be sharing this one! Thanks for a great recipe!
Wonderful additions, Deborah! I especially approve of the dark chocolate and rum
I love this recipe! It’s very simple, exquisitely moist, and the cake is very popular. I’ve made it two days in a row
So glad you like it, Mimi! I love this recipe too
Hi Steph!! This looks super yum! Is the yogurt flavored or just plain?
Thanks, Sabrina
I like to use vanilla yogurt (I find that plain is a bit too tart for this recipe).
Enjoy!
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