Chai Banana Bread

Ingredients

Dry Mix:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• ⅓ cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 ½ teaspoons ground ginger 
• ¼ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
• ¼ teaspoon ground pepper 
• ½ teaspoon salt 

Wet Mix:

• ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• ¼ cup white granulated sugar 
• 3 ripe bananas, smashed 
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Frosting (optional):

• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter and flour an 8 ½ x 4 ½ inch loaf pan or you can use mini loaf pans (like I did).
2. 2
   In a medium bowl, mix the flour, walnuts, baking soda, spices and salt until combined. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and sugars. Crack in the egg, add the mashed banana and vanilla; whisk until combined.
3. 3
   Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring just until the speckles of flour disappear. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get any bits of flour that might be hiding. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Give the pan a couple of moderate smacks on the counter to even out the batter.
4. 4
   Transfer to the oven to bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until the center (s) has risen, the edges are golden brown, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the bread to cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then invert the loaf and cool it on a rack, or leave it in the pan and eat it warm. The banana bread loaves will stay delicious and moist for 3 to 5 days when wrapped tightly in plastic wrap.