Banana bread

This is the most heavenly banana bread I’ve ever come across. The recipe was given to me by a kiwi chef named Lawrence. At the time I was working at the YMCA gym in Abbots Langley. We had various facilities there, one of which was a day nursery. Lawrence was filling in for the nursery’s usual chef while she was on holiday.

At approximately 5pm every evening the kids would have their tea and any leftovers would occasionally be offered to the reception team. I remember being given beautiful curries, hand made profiteroles, cakes, stews… the kids ate really well.

One day the chef had made banana bread and the leftovers (enough for three people at least) were brought out to me. Needless to say I gobbled them all down and asked for the recipe, and here it is. Even people who claim not to like bananas enjoy this cake!

Ingredients

• 125gms butter or margarine (I use flora margarine)
• 125gms soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1tsp vanilla essence
• 4 medium very ripe bananas- even black or bruised ones which have been hanging around for weeks will do
• 1tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 2tsp baking powder
• 250gms self raising flour

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C and grease/line a 500gm loaf tin (I use the same one which I bake regular bread in)
2. In a big bowl or a food processor, beat together the sugar and margarine until pale and creamy. Crack in the eggs one at a time and beat well.
3. Peel the bananas and, in a separate bowl, mash them with a fork (this stage isn’t necessary if you’re using a food processor, just peel and chuck them in) then mix into the batter.
4. Fold in the flour bicarb of soda, baking powder and vanilla essence then pour the batter into the cake tin.
5. Bake in the oven for 50mins to 1 hour. Check after 50mins by sticking a knife into the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean its ready, if not leave it a little longer.
6. Turn out of the tin onto a cooling rack and allow to cool fully before eating.