Nutella Swirl Espresso Banana Bread

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C) and grease or line a 9x 5 loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang for easy removal.

2. To brown the stick of butter, start by melting it in a saucepan over medium heat (reserve the additional tbsp for after browning). Stir constantly as it foams, then watch for golden brown bits to form at the bottom and a nutty aroma to develop. Remove from heat immediately and pour the butter (and all the brown bits!) into a large heatproof bowl. Add the additional tbsp of butter and the espresso powder while the butter is still warm- stir well and let it cool completely.

3. In a separate medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and then set to the side.

4. Add the neutral oil and both sugars to the bowl with the cooled brown butter. Whisk everything well. Then add the mashed bananas. Mix well again. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix again until everything is combined. Add the sour cream and mix until everything is homogenous.

5. Alternate adding the buttermilk and the dry ingredients to the banana mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. At this point, I like to switch to a rubber spatula and fold until everything is just combined. Try not to overmix!

6. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Then dollop about 1/2 of the measured Nutella onto the batter. Using a knife, gently swirl the Nutella. Then pour the remaining batter and dollop the remaining Nutella on top. Swirl the dollops. Note: if your Nutella is looking too thick, you can place it into a heatproof bowl and then pop it in the microwave for about 15 seconds. Just make sure it's not too warm when you add it to the batter.

7. Bake for 65 to 75 minutes. Note: Ovens do vary so focus on visual cues rather than the bake time. Best rule of thumb is when an inserted toothpick comes out mostly clean with a few wet crumbs. If you have a baking thermometer, the internal temp should be 206°F (96.7°C). Also, if you notice the loaf browning at about 45 minutes, place some tented foil on top. This will help slow the browning while the loaf finishes baking. Then let the loaf cool for at least 30 minutes.

8. For the icing, place a tbsp of milk or cream into a heat proof bowl, warm in the microwave for 10 seconds. Then mix in your espresso powder. Let that cool for 5 minutes.

9. Add the cream cheese and butter to a medium bowl. Using a hand mixer, beat on medium speed until the butter and cream cheese are combined and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, and the espresso milk. Beat until everything is fluffy and homogenous.

10. Scoop the icing and spread onto the cooled banana loaf. Slice and serve. Storage: If the loaf is fully iced, store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. If the loaf is not iced, you can store it in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Store icing in the fridge.