Many home cooks have wondered “Why is my banana bread not getting done in the center?” There is nothing more frustrating than cutting into your banana bread to discover that the center is undercooked. The next question is “what did I do wrong?’ or “how do I fix this?” I am going to help you with these questions.
Why Is My Banana Bread Not Getting Done In The Center?
The 4 key factors to consider are:
- Oven temperature. Is the temperature in my oven too high?
- Overfilling your pan. The size of your pan is very important.
- Your baking powder is expired. Expired baking powder loses its potency.
- The batter is too thin. Did you use too many bananas?
Oven Temperature
One thing to remember is the oven temperature and cooking/baking times in a recipe are really only guides. The adjustment is up to you. If the outside of your banana bread is getting too dark too soon, or your oven is too hot, try lowering your oven temperature and baking your banana bread longer.
The usual way to test if your bread is done is by inserting a toothpick or skewer into the center of the bread. We usually look for a clean toothpick but when it comes to banana bread you want a toothpick that comes out sticky but without batter sticking to it.
If it comes out completely clean the bread is most likely gonna be overdone. Which in my opinion is about just as bad as an underdone loaf of banana bread.
Overfilling Your Pan
It is important to not overfill your pan with too much batter.
Doing this will cause your bread to take additional time to bake.
The possible result: the banana bread will overbake on the bottom and sides while not getting done in the center.
Fill your pan 1/2 to 2/3 full.
Baking Powder Expired
The normal shelf life of baking powder is 9-12 months.
While it is not bad to use expired baking powder it will not be as effective resulting in the bread not rising while baking. Causing a flat and dense bread.
Test the baking powder if you are in doubt.
This is very easy to do. Stir about a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder into a cup of hot water.
It will immediately start to fizz and release carbon dioxide gas if it is still fresh enough to use.
Batter Is Too Thin
We all make the mistake of thinking that if we add more bananas than the recipe calls for, our bread will be moister and have a stronger banana taste.
Wrong! It will make your batter too thin thus making it harder to get the center done without over-browning the top.
Read your recipe carefully. It could be that you misread some of the liquid ingredients.
Final Thoughts
There can be many factors as to why is my banana bread not getting done in the center including your oven temperature, the baking powder being expired, the batter being too thin and you may be overfilling your pan.
You may need to lower your oven temperature and bake your banana bread just a bit longer.
Check your baking powder. If it is expired, it will still be ok to use but the potency may cause your banana bread from rising correctly.
Don’t make the mistake of adding more bananas than the recipe calls for. The batter will be too thin.
Make sure that you are not overfilling your pans. This is where the correct size of your pan plays a key role. Use the size pan that the recipe calls for.
I hope that you found this article helpful in your dilemma of why is my banana bread not getting done in the center.
Please leave me a comment below with your thoughts.
Keep On Baking
Taianne