Banana cake recipe

Hello everyone! Just a short post today to give you the recipe for the banana cake I made this week. This cake usually has walnuts in it but I didn't add them because Hanno is having trouble chewing at the moment. Instead of the nuts, I added large pieces of banana to the batter and when baked, they were creamy and delicious. The chunks of banana lengthen the baking time a little bit, so check the centre with a toothpick before removing it from the oven. As it is in this recipe, the cake would be great for sending to school/work as it has no nuts in it and it would survive a lunch box.

Just a quick word about the liquid in this batter. * I used 100 mls/3.5oz buttermilk but you could also use 50 mls plain yoghurt or sour cream mixed with 50 mls milk, OR 100 mls milk with a tablespoon of lemon juice added to sour the milk, OR you could use plain milk. It will work well with any of those combinations.

 BANANA CAKE 

• 125 grams/1 stick butter at room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• splash of vanilla
• ½ teaspoon bicarb/baking soda
• 1½  cups self raising flour
• 100 mls/3.5 oz buttermilk, or alternative *
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed 
• 1 extra banana to add to the batter

Cream the butter, sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy then add the eggs one at a time and beat in. When the eggs have been added,  sift the bicarb and flour together and add it to the batter with the buttermilk and mix it in. Don't over beat it. Finally, add the bananas and fold in with a spoon.

Place the batter into a greased and lined bar tin and add the chopped chunks of banana to the top of the batter.  They'll sink in while the cake is cooking. Bake on 175C/350F for about 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

This is a lovely fruit cake and I hope that when it cools a little, you cut a slice, make a cup of tea or coffee and sit down to enjoy it.  xx