The poor unloved black banana!

Do you have poor unloved black bananas in your fruit bowl?  My children refuse to eat them.  They won't even eat the nice yellow ones with "ugly black marks" on.  My poor husband ends up with them in his lunchbox, until they get too soft to survive the morning in there!

Banana Loaf Cake to the rescue!  Turn those poor unloved bananas into cake, and the kids can't get enough of them!  Slices of banana cake are then happily consumed at breakfast, as part of their packed lunches, or as an after school snack.  And best of all, it's very easy and cheap to make.

When cooking for the family I have to be conscious of my budget, and I'm a great believer in using the 'value brand' products whenever possible.  There are many value brand ingredients which are perfectly acceptable to use in cooking, and I would defy most people to tell the difference between dishes made with them as opposed to the more expensive version. This is especially true if they are used within a cooked, home made product.  This banana loaf is one of those recipes - I use value brand flour, butter, eggs and cinnamon.  This allows me to make a bigger quantity.  This cake freezes very well if wrapped up well.  

This doesn't apply to all baking though.  Sponge cakes need to be light and fluffy with a good rise, and for this I use better quality ingredients.  Proper premium cake flour will yield better results, Lurpak butter makes a better buttercream, free range eggs will make a better meringue, etc. and I use these for the cakes I make for my customers.  And vanilla is something I won't scrimp on, a good vanilla extract is worth the extra cost.  But for family baking, these things are not so important, the kids don't concern themselves if the loaf cake has risen slightly wonky! 

It's a question of knowing which value products work well in your cooking, and which don't. So, I have taken out the guesswork for you....this recipe works just fine with value products! 

Here is the recipe for you to try.  Please don't condemn your black squishy bananas to the bin anymore!

 

BANANA LOAF CAKE

(using a 2lb loaf tin/cooking time 35 minutes)

125g butter
150g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg beaten
2 ripe bananas
190g self-raising flour
60 ml milk
1 teaspoon baking powder
0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
Cinnamon powder (optional)

Method:

1.  Preheat oven to 150C

2. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment.  I use the loaf tin liners.  I buy these in Home Bargains, a pack of 25 liners is about 80 pence! 

3. In a medium size saucepan gently melt the butter, sugar and vanilla.  Mix well.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.

4.  While you are melting the butter, mash the banana with a fork.

5.  Add the beaten egg, milk and mashed banana to the butter/sugar mixture when it has cooled slightly.

6.  Stir in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda with a wooden spoon.  Making sure all the ingredients are mixed well.

7.  Pour the mixture into your prepared tin.  Sprinkle some cinnamon on top (optional). 

8.  Bake for 35 minutes.  Check with a skewer (if the skewer comes out clean the cake is cooked).  If not cook for a further five minutes.

9. Leave to cool.  Remove from the tin and serve in slices.