Zebra Black Tahini Banana Bread

There is something just so homey and cozy about a loaf of banana bread baking up in the oven.

It seems to be one of those treats that we make year round, really, more than almost any other baked good option.  Is it because our freezers can handle only so many frozen bananas? Is it because it can be personalized and takes to nuts and chocolate or peanut butter so well?  Is it because the batter is so versatile: either as muffins, a bundt cake or a good ole loaf?  Because it is moist, sweet, and really rather healthy?  Or is it because it gets better with each passing day, and wrapped up slices are great in a lunch box or as a midnight snack?  Heck, it makes a great breakfast as well!

Whatever the reason that motivates you to make the ubiquitous banana bread, I’m hoping that this latest version is a good reason as well.  It can hold its own in the drama department!  I grew up with my mum’s marble cake being one of my favourite treats ever, so this bread pays tribute to that memory.  So does the actual marble cake recipe that took me years to perfect, and you can find it here: the perfect German marbled pound cake, with the chocolate side having rum for good measure, and the lighter side being bright and lemony.

I recently came across the most easy, moist banana bread recipe from Love and Olive Oil’s Lindsay and Taylor.  They have a great little cooking blog happening- they are based in Tennessee with their cats, so I can totally relate to them!  Lindsay’s recipe is a marbled version.  The dark side  is achieved by adding black tahini paste and ground black sesame seeds to half the batter.  I already love tahini, with it’s slight nutty flavour, and smooth peanut butter texture.  Tahini is basically a paste made from ground sesame seeds, and is a staple in Middle Eastern cuisine (hummus relies on it, and tahini dip is fabulous in its own right).  Naturally, black tahini is the very same thing, just using black sesame seeds.  Because it is sesame seeds foremost, it is high in calcium, fibre, iron and protein.  But of course, it isn’t low in fat, even though it is mostly good fat.  So you don’t want to go overboard in consuming it in one sitting!  It also makes for a most dramatic tahini dressing or topping for your buttered toast in the morning.  Black Tahini Paste is turning into one of my new favourite pantry items.  Boys love the idea of black food, so grab a jar as soon as you can and have some fun!  I attached a link in the previous sentence for you to check out.

I knew I was going to give Lindsay’s banana bread a go.  But I decided to change up the process.  Instead of marbling the batter in the pan, I would layer the two different coloured batters.  It is really rather easy, but results in the most dramatic finished loaf.  As you slice through it, the wonky stripes are revealed.  And along with the black tahini and ground sesame seeds happening in the dark shaded batter, I also added chocolate bitters.  Just for some depth and play of flavour.  The bitters give the dark side a bit more oomph and that hint of chocolate that really no one will ever refuse.  I also sprinkle the top with a combination of black and white sesame seeds, along with raw or turbinado sugar.  They all add a perfect crunch and sweetness to the crust.

When it comes to creating the layers this is how you will do it:  Divide the batter into two bowls.  In the one bowl you will be adding the black tahini, sesame seeds and chocolate bitters. Get two large serving spoons, one for each bowl.  You will have prepared your loaf pan with a sheet of parchment paper to facilitate ease of release after the bake.  Starting with one colour, dollop a good spoonful into the middle of the bottom of the pan.  Then take the same amount of the other batter and dollop this in the middle of the first dollop of batter.  Give the pan a good shake back and forth to help the batters to start spreading out. They will do this on their own eventually, but I like to help it along every few layers.  Keep layering.  Because this is banana bread, and not a smoother, thinner cake batter, you won’t get the same amount of thin layers that you would using the ‘zebra’ method in other cakes.  But you will create enough layers with this batter to get a great looking cake in the end.  Don’t overfill the spoonfuls, or you will get only a few thick layers, since you will run out of batter more quickly.  As you get towards the end, give the pan a few good shakes, and add the batter in such a way as to distribute it across the entire pan more evenly.  Don’t be overly worried if there seems to be a dome of sorts in the middle of the pan, it will even out as it bakes.  And then it will rise up and create that perfect craggy top.

Every time I have made this recipe, I have been thrilled with the results.  It has now come close to being made as often as my Caramelized Banana Bread with Walnuts and Cocoa Nibs.  In fact, I took the method for caramelizing the bananas from that recipe and treated the bananas in this recipe the same way.  It just really adds another layer to the bananas themselves.  The sugars that develop as the banana slices are quickly sautéed in a frying pan bring the banana flavour to a new height.

In the end, in addition to that frying pan, you really only need a couple of bowls and some spoons.  It’s such a fun, easy recipe.  But the end result takes banana bread to a whole new level, and will make everyone who eats one of the slices you hand them think you are a master chef!  Don’t worry, I won’t let on anything.  We’re all master chefs in our own ways! 

Love Jen.

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Zebra Black Tahini Banana Bread

A classic, moist and tender banana bread is taken to a fun new level with layers flavoured and coloured with black tahini and black sesame seeds.  The bananas are caramelized before added to the batter, so this loaf is packed with amazing flavours.  Chocolate bitters also add a special note.

Course Baking

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 50 minutes

Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 large ripe bananas
• 1 1/2 tbsp butter
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup 1 stick unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 tablespoons black sesame tahini
• 2 tablespoons finely ground black sesame seeds
• chocolate bitters optional, but what a difference they make!
• 1 tbsp turbinado or raw sugar for sprinkling on top
• 2-3 tsp white sesame seeds
• 2-3 tsp black sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and line a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper (cut a 9-inch wide strip of parchment and press it into the pan, covering the bottom and sides, leaving at least a 1-inch overhang on the long edges; it’s ok if the short ends are left unlined so long as they are buttered).
2. Peel and cut the banana in half, both length wise and cross wise: each banana should be in four half moons shapes.
3. Heat a heavy skillet over medium high heat and melt 1 1/2 tbsp butter.
4. Once the butter has melted and is starting to bubble, you can add the banana slices to the pan. Let them turn golden brown on all sides, just being careful not to let any one side scorch. As soon as they have caramelized, transfer to a bowl to cool down a bit.
5. In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.
6. Mash bananas in a bowl until mostly smooth (If you only have frozen bananas you can let them thaw and mash at this point). You should have about 3/4 cup.
7. Whisk in eggs, then add sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Finally whisk in melted stick of butter.
8. Pour wet ingredients into bowl with dry ingredients and whisk until just incorporated and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Transfer about half of batter to another bowl; mix in black sesame paste and ground sesame seeds until evenly incorporated. Then add in 6 good dashes of chocolate bitters and give it a good stir.
9. Using one large serving spoon and one of the batters, dollop a spoonful into the centre of the pan. Use a separate spoon for the alternate batter and dollop the same amount right on top. Give the pan a good shake back and forth to help them start spreading out.
10. Keep alternating batters, and shaking occasionally until you have used up all the batter.
11. As you get towards the end of the batters, spread them out so that the pan is filled somewhat evenly. There may still appear to be more settled in the middle. No worries, it will even out as it bakes.
12. Sprinkle with turbinado or raw sugar as well as the sesame seeds all over the top of the batter.
13. Bake for about 50 minutes or until a bamboo skewer inserted near the center comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs attached.
14. Place pan on a wire cooling rack and let cool.
15. To remove, run a thin metal spatula along the short (unlined) sides of the pan. Use the overhanging parchment to gently lift the entire loaf out of the pan and place on a cutting board to slice and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Recipe Notes

Adapted from Black Sesame Swirl Banana Bread from Love and Olive Oil