Banana and chocolate cake

It is a truth universally known that if you buy bananas hoping they will ripen quickly in order to use them in baking they will remain resolutely yellow without a speck of black on them. Conversely bananas that are bought for eating will only be fit for baking within two days of buying them. So it was this situation I found myself in which meant a cake needed to baked!

I'm not the biggest fan of bananas once they have gone ripe so a few flavourings are required. Chocolate always goes well with bananas and for a bit of autumnal spice I added cinnamon as well.

Equipment: 2lb (900g) Loaf tin greased and lined, 2 large bowls, electric whisk/beaters, wire rack

Ingredients

3½ oz (100g) Unsalted butter softened or baking spread

3½ oz (100g) Soft light brown sugar

2 Eggs

8½ oz (240g) Self raising flour

1tsp (5ml) Baking powder

1tsp (5ml) Ground cinnamon

1tsp (5ml) Vanilla extract

2 Ripe bananas, mashed

3½ oz (100g) Dark chocolate, chips or broken

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs in one by one.

4. In another bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Add in the bananas.

5. Mix the two bowls together and then stir in the chocolate.

6. Transfer to the prepared tin and level the top.

7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, covering the top after 30 minutes if it is browning too quickly.

8. Once baked remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.