Banana Loaf
A moist, tasty cake with raisins and pecans to use up over-ripe bananas. Ideal for packed lunches.
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
- 100 g sultanas
- 60 ml rum, or orange juice
- 125 g butter, melted
- 75 g pecans or walnuts
- 2 large eggs
- 100 g caster sugar
- 180 g self-raising flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (2.5ml)
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (2.5ml)
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (5ml)
- 2-3 very ripe bananas (300g peeled fruit)
Instructions
Preparation:
- Heat the sultanas with the rum. Bring to the boil, cover and leave for half an hour, if possible (but not vital). Use the microwave or a saucepan
- Set the oven to 150°C fan, gas mark 3
- Grease a 2lb loaf tin with butter or use a paper liner
- Melt the butter. About 30 seconds on HIGH in the microwave
For the Banana Loaf:
- Chop the nuts. Pulse a few time in the processor until they're the right size - don't overdo it!
- Take the nuts out and put them aside
- Put all the ingredients except the banana, dried fruit, and nuts into the processor and blitz for about a minute. Scrape down and blitz for 10 seconds.(Eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt, butter, vanilla)
- Add the bananas and pulse a few times until they're incorporated. If the bananas aren't totally ripe you will have some lumps - just mash them in with a fork
- Add the nuts and sultanas and mix with a spoon to avoid obliteration
- Spoon into the prepared tin
- Bake for 1-1 ¼ hours, but check after 1 hour. The cake will be done when the top is brown and a cocktail stick comes out clean
- Cool in the tin.
Notes
Everyday Cooks Tips:
- Although the recipe uses a food processor, you can use any sort of mixer with these modifications:
- Chop the nuts roughly with a sharp knife
- Mash the banana with a fork before mixing in
- To freeze, leave the cake in the paper wrapper, wrap in foil and seal in a plastic bag or box. Freeze for up to 3 months
- Store in the fridge in the liner in an airtight plastic box for a week or two.