The best banana cake

Ingredients:

• 0.5 cup melted unsalted butter or vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
• 1 and 3/4 cups premium flour
• 1 cup toasted pecans, chopped
• 0.5 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Fine salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup of sour milk, kefir, sour cream or yogurt
• 0.5 cup light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 medium soft, overripe bananas, mashed (about 1 1/2 cups)

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 175°C and lightly grease a 22x12.5cm loaf pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, pecans, granulated sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, melted butter, buttermilk, brown sugar, and vanilla extract; stir in the mashed bananas. Fold the banana mixture into the flour mixture and knead until smooth (it's okay if a few lumps remain).
3. Place the dough into a greased loaf pan and tap it lightly on the countertop to distribute the dough evenly. Bake until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.
   
   
   When measuring flour, spoon it into a dry measuring cup and remove any excess. Scooping flour directly from the bag with a measuring cup will compact it, resulting in dry baked goods.
4. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
   
   Note
   
   If you're making nut-free bread, simply omit the pecans and continue with the recipe.