Interlude: RumChata Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of those beautifully versatile desserts that can be dressed up or dressed down without losing any of its deliciousness. Whether you’re adding in nuts, swirls of chocolate, cinnamon streusel, dried fruit, peanut butter, whole slices of banana, or anything else that floats your boat, you’re guaranteed to have a home run on your hands as long as your base banana bread recipe is flavorful and moist. When I’ve made banana bread in the past, that crucial moisture has always come from oat milk. Today, though, I started pulling out my ingredients for baking, saw some RumChata shooters leftover from the holidays at the back of the pantry, and literally said, “Hmmm…” out loud. And thus, RumChata banana bread was born, and I don’t think I’ll ever look back!

Ready to cook?

For this recipe, you’ll need a mixer and a Bundt tin.

Ingredients:

• 3 very ripe bananas
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for flouring the Bundt tin
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1.5 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for flouring the Bundt tin
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2 Rum Chata shooters
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, pulsed in a coffee grinder for 3 seconds

For the glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp creme de cacao liqueur
• 3 tbsp oat milk (plus more, if needed)

Instructions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F. Cream together the butter and sugar until smooth, then add in the eggs and vanilla and mix until well combined.
2. Mash the bananas into an applesauce consistency using a fork, then mix the mashed bananas with the butter-sugar-egg mixture.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Add this mix to the batter gradually, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix well.
4. Add both shooters of RumChata to the batter and mix until incorporated, then add in the ground almonds and stir the batter with a spoon to combine.
5. Grease the Bundt tin with a little butter and then flour it. This video is a great tutorial on how to do it! Pour the batter evenly into the tin and place it immediately in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes and test for doneness with a sharp knife or wooden kebab skewer- the implement should come out cleanly with no wet batter.
6. Let the bread cool on the counter while you make the glaze. Add the powdered sugar to a bowl and pour in the 3 tbsp of oat milk. Mix well with a fork and make sure that no sugar lumps remain (if they do, pulse the mixture with an immersion blender until smooth). Next, add in the RumChata and stir until combined.
7. Once the Bundt tin reaches room temperature (or the tin is at least no longer hot and comfortable to touch), use a flat knife to free the bread from the mold. Once you’ve gone around the entire perimeter of the bread, carefully turn the tin upside down over a cutting board and gently tap until the bread releases.
8. Give the glaze a few stirs to make sure it hasn’t separated, then pour it over the bread in an even trickle. Let the glazed bread sit for 5 minutes, then use a spatula to transfer the cake to a new plate. Serve immediately and enjoy!