Strawberry Banana Bread

• 1/2 cup salted butter at room temperature, plus more for greasing
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Zest from 1 large lemon
• 1 cup strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas
• 1 medium banana, peeled and split lengthwise
• Flaky sea salt

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Butter a 23 x 13 x 8 cm loaf pan, then dust with flour. In a medium bowl, whisk the 2 cups flour with the ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and lemon zest. Add three-fourths of the sliced strawberries and toss to coat.

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or electric hand mixer), beat the butter with the brown sugar and sour cream at medium-high speed until it is very creamy and light in colour, for about 3 minutes. Beat the eggs one at a time, then beat the vanilla and mashed bananas until just incorporated. Add the dry ingredients and, using a silicone spatula, fold until thoroughly blended.

Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Put the split banana cut-side up on the batter, then arrange the remaining one-fourth of the strawberries around it, gently pressing them into the batter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt.

Place loaf pan in preheated oven and bake for about 90 minutes, until browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean (alternatively, you know the cake is made when an instant-read thermometer inserted in the centre registers 90 to 96°C). Let cool on a rack for 1 hour, then remove bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving.