Banana Loaf Cake – Banana Bread

It was sugested to me that I might make a Banana Bread, or more accurately Banana Loaf Cake.  I have made one before, but that was a chocolate flavoured one.  This one today is a slight variation on a recipe that I found in The Guardian, which used walnuts where I used roasted hazelnuts.  I prefer the taste of hazelnuts, particularly once roasted.

The recipe is very simple and quick to make.  The preparation is quick as is the mixing and then just about an hour to bake.  The resulting loaf is delicious and moist due to the bananas.  The flavour is fantastic too.  A slice of this is ideal with a cup of tea.  I guess it is also good for breakfast, for those who enjoy muffins in the morning, since it is quite similar in texture.

One person has also been asking for recipes with not too much butter or oil.  I think this recipe fits that purpose as many versions I have seen use at least twice as much as I have used here.

Ingredients:

• 320g bananas(peeled weight)
• 50g chopped roasted hazelnuts(or any nuts you wish chopped roughly)
• 180g plain flour
• 160g light brown muscovado sugar
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 medium eggs(large in USA), beaten
• 56g butter, very soft or melted and cooled

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/325 F
2. Butter a 2lb loaf tin and then coat the buttered surface with flour, shaking off the excess.
3. In a bowl mix the flour, baking powder and salt together.
4. In a separate bowl crush 2/3 of the bananas until mushy.  Then chopped the remainder into small chunks and mix in.
5. In a large bowl place the sugar, eggs and butter and whisk together until all combined and slightly increased in volume. ( I used my hand mixer for this).
6. Add the flour and banana and gently fold in until all is just about combined.
7. Add the hazelnuts and fold again until all is mixed in.
8. Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and spread until the batter is level.
9. Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, until a skewer poked into the centre comes out clean.
10. Remove from the oven and leave in the tin for 10 minutes.
11. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before slicing.