Nordic Ware Banana Loaf Pan

Banana bread has a reputation for being a bit dull, partially due to the fact that it is quite common, and partially due to the fact that it comes out of a plain, rectangular loaf pan. The common part is difficult to change – although getting a reputation for baking really great banana bread recipes will help that a lot – but the boring loaf pan aspect is easier. Just get something with a little shape to it, something like the Nordic Ware’s new Banana Loaf Pan. This cute, tropical pan is has a half-cylinder shape to it, rather than a rectangle, and it is decorated with bunches of bananas and a palm tree. The ridges that run along the loaf are good guidelines for slicing, too. The cast-iron pan has a nonstick interior to help with an easy release, but greasing and flouring a pan like this will help the design come out even better because it will make the exterior of the loaf look just a bit darker. It is a bit longer and less deep than your standard loaf pan at 5-in x 13-in x 3-in, so be sure to check your recipe a little early when you start to bake with a pan like this, as it will probably need a little less time in the oven as a plain old rectangular loaf.