Banana loaf

This is a lovely, moist loaf, which really doesn’t need to be buttered. It freezes extremely well. Any bananas left in the fruit bowl are ideal for this cake – the riper they are, the better. Watch the loaf well while in the oven. The first time i made this i left it just a little bit too long, making the loaf really dry.

What you need:

• 100 gram butter (softened)
• 175 gram caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas (mashed)
• 225 gram self-raising flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons milk

Tin needed: A 900 gram loaf tin. 17 x 9 x 9 cm.

1: Lightly grease the loaf tin and line it with non-stick baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC. Measure all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat for about 2 minutes, until well blended.

2: Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for about 1 hour, until well risen and golden brown. A fine skewer inserted in the centre of the cake should come out clean.

3: Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then loosen with a small palette knife and turn the cake out. Remove the lining paper and leave on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice thickly to serve.