Ingredients
1 stick unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
1¾ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup light brown sugar
2½ tsp ground ginger
2½ tsp ground cinnamon
1¼ tsp baking powder
¾ tsp kosher salt
½ tsp ground cloves
½ tsp ground nutmeg
½ tsp baking soda
1½ cup powdered sugar
3 Tbsp whole milk
2 bananas, ripe, preferably frozen and thawed, mashed
2 large eggs, room temperature
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup molasses
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup walnut pieces
½ cup walnuts, chopped
½ cup fruit of choice (optional)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375°F and brush a standard 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan with butter. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda, cloves and nutmeg until well combined. In another large bowl, whisk together butter, bananas, eggs, buttermilk, molasses and vanilla until smooth. Add dry ingredients and walnuts to the wet ingredients and stir until just combined. Scrape into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the bread comes out clean, about 1 hour. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer loaf to a wire rack and let cool completely.
In a medium bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and 2 Tbsp of the milk until combined. Add milk, ½ tsp at a time if too thick. Spread glaze over top of loaf and sprinkle with remaining walnuts. Let set at least 30 minutes before slicing and serving. CS