gaudrey's Banana Bread with variations

Subject: gaudrey's Banana Bread with several variations
Posted by: gaudrey_GA Replies: 1 Posted on: 9/17/2003 7:29:25 PM
#T231683
The basic recipe can be varied in many ways as I have listed below. For each recipe use the 2 cups of fruit as suggested plus the eggs and cake mix. The Fruit Fresh is optional but I use it with bananas so they don't turn dark. It's not necassary with the other fruits. Here are some of the furits you can use in addition to the bananas:
1. one cup of chopped strawberries and 1 cup of mashed bananas - don't drain the berries
2. one can of mashed pumpkin (not the pie filling)
3. two cups chunkly applesauce OR 1-1/2 cups regular applesauce which is wetter
4. one can crushed pineapple with its juice (the 1 pound can)
5. one can apple pie filling - mash the chunks of apple into smaller pieces
6. one can blueberry pie filling
7. one can strawberry pie filling

If you want nuts, add 1 cup of chopped nuts to the batter before baking. I usually omit them since many people don't, or can't, eat nuts. I make nut butter to give along with the loaf for those who do like nuts.

If you want frosting, select one whose flavor will compliment the flavor of the bread. Melt 1/2 of the can of prepared frosting in a microwave oven for about 10 seconds or just until it is soft enough to pour. Drizzle it over the cooled bread. White Chocolate Almond seems to blend with almost any flavor of the bread.

I use spice cake mix for all except anything containing banana or pineapple. I use yellow cake mix for those since their flavor is best to me without spice added.

Here's the Nut Butter recipe. I was afraid there wouldn't be room on the other post.

Nut Butter

1 stick butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup minced nuts (walnuts, black walnuts, pecans, almonds, etc. Black walnuts are especially good with Pumpkin Bread.)

Mix thoroughly and store air tight in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before serving.

Grace, it took forever to locate this again, but wanted you to know, of the 2,000+ posts about banana bread recipes, none will EVER top yours in my opinion. Thank you, I made so many of these to sell a few years ago you'd think I'd memorized the recipe by now, but in almost 60 years of cooking and baking, never been able to memorize any recipe yet. But for the best flavor, moistness, and no molding on the bottom in hot weather, this bread is the numero uno. We do need the ingredients list added here for the banana bread with no other additions of fruits. I press the chopped walnuts on top of loaves so they are not scattered throughout. They also do not turn black around the edges. It is best to keep refrigerated during very hot weather just to be safe.

 thanks for your amazing food recipe! i will definitely have a try.

You mix a cake mix and add these different fruits, creating different types of breads???  How neat....

 

Mary

Hi....Sounds delicious.....but, I can't find the recipe for the bread.  Could you send it to me?  Thanks,Jan.

Jan, This is what I found in Search on qaudreys' bread.

 

Basic Fruit Bread Recipe   

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups mashed fruit (or veggies)
1 box cake mix (spice or plain)
1 cup nuts, chopped, optional

Combine eggs and fruit. Mix in dry cake mix. Mix on low speed 1 minute. Then beat on medium speed 3 minutes. Pour into 2 sprayed or greased 8x8x4 inch loaf pans. Bake at 350° until the top springs back when touched lightly with the fingertips, about 50 to 55 minutes. Cool 10 minutes in the pans. Turn out on a rack to finish cooling. If using nuts, fold into batter before pouring into pans.

The basic recipe can be varied in many ways as I have listed below. For each recipe use the 2 cups of fruit as suggested plus the eggs and cake mix. Here are some of the fruits you can use in addition to the bananas:
1. one cup of chopped strawberries and 1 cup of mashed bananas - don't drain the berries
2. one can of mashed pumpkin (not the pie filling)
3. two cups chunkly applesauce OR 1-1/2 cups regular applesauce which is wetter
4. one can crushed pineapple with its juice (the 1 pound can)
5. one can apple pie filling - mash the chunks of apple into smaller pieces
6. one can blueberry pie filling
7. one can strawberry pie filling
If you want nuts, add 1 cup of chopped nuts to the batter before baking.
If you want frosting, select one whose flavor will compliment the flavor of the bread. Melt 1/2 of the can of prepared frosting in a microwave oven for about 10 seconds or just until it is soft enough to pour. Drizzle over bread.

I use spice cake mix for all except anything containing banana or pineapple. I use yellow cake mix for those since their flavor is best to me without spice added.
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Just found this. Thanks for the great review, Barb. Some other things you can add are: one can of whole berry cranberry sauce, 2 cups grated zucchini, 2 cups cooked and mashed carrots with chopped walnuts, 2 cups cooked and mashed sweet potatoes with chopped pecans - all of these taste great with spice cake mix. I'm sure you can think of other fruits or veggies you could use. ALso you can bake this as loaves, 9x12 pan, layers, muffins, or tube or bundt pan. A can of any pie filling works well, but makes it very sweet. That's okay if using it for dessert. I have a friend who makes a variety of these every year and bakes them in mini-loaf pans. She gives 3 to each of her children's teachers at Christmas.

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Spring04, I just posted my banana bread recipe with several variations on this board and KC too. Also a Nut Butter to go with it if not using nuts. The basic recipe which is 3 eggs, 2 cups mashed fruit, and 1 bos cake mix works well for almost any fruit or veggie you would want to put in a bread of this type. Feel free to try them all. Hope you make a fortune - then you can cut me in! LOL Cranberry is the latest one I've tried and it's great. Strawberry/banana and orange/pineapple are wonderful too. Just be sure to keep the proportions right - 2 cups of fruit to 1 box cake mix. You can add nuts, raisins, currants, chocolate chips, coconut, etc. within reason - not over 1 cup. I also flour them before adding. Candied fruits are pretty at Christmas. For a very speedy fruit cake, I add 1 cup of mixed diced red and green cherries and pineapple to a spice cake mix with the 3 eggs. Also 1/2 cup chopped nuts. Lazy way to do it, but quick and so good. Can dribble wine over it if you wish after cooling. By the way, it is an adaptation I made to an old recipe I found several years ago. The original was rather dry and crumbly so I kept playing with it.

 

Here is my basic Banana Bread without all of the other information. This makes it simpler to just make the Banana Bread. Hope this is what you wanted. 

 

Gaudrey's Banana Bread

3 eggs, beaten
2 cups mashed very ripe bananas
1 box yellow cake mix
1 cup chopped pecans, optional

Combine eggs and bananas. (Use bananas that are very ripe, with skins that are nearly brown all over. They will have the best flavor.) Dump in the dry cake mix and beat on low speed for 1 minute or just until moistened. Then beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour into two 8x4x4 inch loaf pans that have been greased and floured or sprayed. Bake at 350° until the top springs back when touched lightly with your fingertips, about 50 to 60 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes and then turn out and cool completely on a rack. Bread may then be returned to the pans if you wish for storage or gift giving. Wrap tightly with foil and freeze or keep in the fridge for up to a week. If you would like a glaze on your bread, melt ½ can of prepared frosting (I like White Chocolate Almond) for about 7 seconds in the microwave oven on high. Don’t let it get too liquid - it should be just soft enough to drizzle over the loaves. It will harden quickly as it cools. NOTE: For Banana Nut Bread, fold in 1 cup of chopped pecans just before pouring the batter into the pans for baking. This bread is always moist