Matcha Marble Banana Bread

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C for 15 min.

   oven

2. Butter a 20×10 cm loaf pan and line the base and long sides with baking paper.

3. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat for 2 min, then take it off the heat and let it cool until lukewarm.

   Add in this stepUnsalted butter 85 g

   low heat

4. Mash the bananas finely with a fork in a large bowl; with white sugar, the smoother the mash, the cleaner the marbling. Add the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla and whisk for 30 seconds. Sift in the flour, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder and salt, and fold with a spatula just until no dry flour remains.

   Add in this stepVery ripe bananas 2Caster (white) sugar 90 gEggs 1Vanilla extract ½ tspPlain (all-purpose) flour 150 gBicarbonate of soda (baking soda) ½ tspBaking powder ½ tspSalt 1 pinch

5. Scoop half of the batter into a second bowl. Sift the matcha into a small cup, add the milk and stir with a spoon into a lump-free paste. Stir the paste into the second bowl of batter until evenly green. Fold two thirds of the white chocolate into the two batters, dividing it between them, and keep the rest for the top.

   Add in this stepMatcha powder (culinary grade is fine) 3 tspMilk 1½ tbspWhite chocolate, roughly chopped 33 g

6. Drop large spoonfuls of plain and green batter into the pan, alternating like a chequerboard, in two layers. Push a chopstick or skewer to the bottom and draw a long figure eight three or four times only; more will muddy the pattern. Scatter the remaining white chocolate and the sesame on top.

   Add in this stepWhite chocolate, roughly chopped 18 gToasted white sesame seeds, for the top 1 tsp

7. Bake in the oven at 175°C for 45 min. After 20 min, lay a loose sheet of foil on top so the matcha stays green instead of turning brown. It is done when a skewer comes out without wet batter (melted chocolate on it is fine).

   oven

8. Cool in the pan for 10 min, then lift out and cool completely on a rack. Slice only once fully cool, with a sharp knife, for a clean swirl.