Banana Old-Fashioned Donut Loaf

Ingredients

Pan used

I personally prefer a light-colored aluminum pan for these loaves. Here is the one I use. Not sponsored. I don't earn a commission from this link.

Glass holds heat longer, so the edges can overbake before the center is done. If you use glass, loosely tent the loaf with foil early, as soon as the top starts to brown. The foil helps protect the top, but it does not stop the sides or bottom from baking too quickly.

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and fully line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
2. Make the streusel. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, and salt.
3. Add the cold cubed butter and vanilla bean paste. Work them together with your fingertips until a mixture of fine crumbs and large buttery clusters forms. Refrigerate while preparing the batter.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, yogurt, mashed banana, milk, vanilla bean paste, and apple cider vinegar until completely smooth.
5. Add the all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.
6. Whisk just until combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be thick and scoopable rather than loose or pourable.
7. Spread just under half of the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
8. Sprinkle half of the chilled streusel evenly over the batter.
9. Carefully spread the remaining batter over the streusel until completely covered.
10. Sprinkle the remaining streusel evenly over the top, leaving plenty of large buttery clusters.
11. Sprinkle generously with clear coarse sanding sugar before baking. I sprinkle a lot!
12. Bake at 350°F for 45 minutes. Depending on your oven, the total baking time may extend to 90 minutes. Use the listed doneness cues rather than the clock alone.
13. At 45 minutes, tent the loaf loosely with foil and continue baking until the center is fully baked. Mine typically needs about 5 additional minutes, but ovens vary and yours may need longer.
14. 14

    Before you take the loaf out

    Baking time is a guide, not a deadline.

    Check the center: Insert a skewer or toothpick into the cake in the center, avoiding the streusel layer.

    Ready to come out: The tester comes out clean or with moist crumbs. No wet batter.

    Keep baking: Thick, paste-like batter: bake 3-5 minutes more. Wet batter: bake 7-10 minutes more. Then test the center again.

    The 205-210°F (96-99°C) range is an extra check. Batter on the tester still means keep baking, even at that temperature.

    An underbaked center can collapse as the loaf cools.

15. Cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully lift the loaf onto a wire rack. Let it cool until warm but no longer hot.
16. Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, vanilla bean paste, and salt until completely smooth. Add additional milk 1 teaspoon at a time if needed until the glaze is thick but pourable.
17. Spoon or pour the glaze generously over the warm loaf once it no longer feels hot, allowing it to run naturally down the sides.
18. Allow the glaze to set completely before slicing.

Helpful notes

• For the most donut-like finish, keep the glaze thick enough to coat the loaf instead of soaking in.
• If using an instant-read thermometer, look for 205-210°F in the center.
• I test all of my recipes using non-dairy ingredients, but you can substitute with the ingredients you have on hand.
• If you're curious, I test with Forager Unsweetened Plain Yogurt, Silk Unsweetened Original Soymilk, and Country Crock Plant Butter Sticks.