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| Banana, Almond & Maple Syrup Loaf Cake |
It's not often that there are bananas
at JibberJabber Towers which would make themselves fit as one of the
ingredients to this recipe as my son is the original monkey boy when
it comes to eating them. However, a weekend away and I cam back to
the horrors of all horrors – blackened and overripe bananas. I say
horror as the smell and even the thought of overripe makes me feel
all sorts of things which should not be described on a cookery blog.
My Nan used to have a Jamaican friend who told her that bananas are
best eaten when they have black spots on them. Nan said that as Harry
came from where they grew bananas he should know best. My senses
remain to this day unconvinced.
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| The 'horror' of overripe bananas |
This recipe is one I have adapted from
a Be-Ro book. I made it first last year and found a major fault in it
as it asked for the nuts and fruit to be put on top at the start of
the baking process. I was a bit unsure when I read the instructions
and my instincts were right – the top was completely crozzled. The
original recipe called for different sugar, nuts and fruit. I didn't
have any of these in stock and since this is designed to use up
ingredients that otherwise would be thrown out I didn't go out and
buy them but instead substituted with what I had at home. My almonds
were whole but I put them in a bag and gave them a whack with a
rolling pin to turn them into 'chopped'.
As the cake uses maple syrup I am
putting this forward for this month's Feel Good Food at Victoria's A Kick At The Pantry Door.
Equipment: 1 2lb/900g loaf tin,
greased and lined or use loaf liners.
Ingredients
8oz (225g) Self-raising flour
¼
tsp (1.25ml) Bicarbonate of Soda
3oz
(85g) Unsalted butter, softened or baking spread
4oz
(110g) Demerara sugar
2
Large eggs
3
Large ripe bananas, mashed
3oz
(85g) Almonds, chopped
2
tbsp (30ml) Maple syrup
Topping
½oz
(14g) Flaked almonds
½oz
(14g) Sultanas
1
tbsp (15ml) + 1tsp (5ml) Maple syrup
Method
1.
Grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin
2.
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/Gas
mark 4.
3.
In a large bowl mix together the flour and bicarbonate of soda.
4.
In a separate bowl cream together the butter and sugar.
5.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat them in. Add a little of the
flour if required.
6.
Add the remaining flour, bananas, almonds and maple syrup. Stir until
all the ingredients are well combined.
7.
Pour into the prepared tin and cook for 45 minutes.
8.
After 45 minutes check the loaf to see if the top is cooking too
quickly. Cover with greaseproof paper if it is.
9.
Mix together the flaked almonds and sultanas with the 1 tbsp (15ml)
of maple syrup. Spoon over the top of the cake.
10.
Drizzle over the remaining 1 tsp (5ml) of maple syrup, cover again
and cook for a further 15 minutes.
11.
Leave for 5-10 minutes in the tin before taking out and leaving to
cool completely on a wire rack.
