Banana Loaf

A few weeks back I finally received a copy of The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook and the wait was really worth it, the book has an amazing collection of recipe after delicious recipe of cupcakes, muffins, brownies, pies, cakes, cheesecakes and cookies. I couldn’t wait to start baking from the book and I decided to kill two birds with one stone and use up the bananas going ripe in my fruit bowl and also bake my first recipe from the book. I’ve baked many banana loafs over the years and have several firm favourites but I’m always happy to try out new recipes. This recipe was seriously quick and easy to make and I loved the simplicity of this loaf, no nuts or chocolate, just a basic banana loaf that is moist and full of flavour! You could of course add nuts or chocolate, or even better add both. I’m now looking forward to trying out more recipes from the book and have plans to make the Nutty Apple Loaf next, so watch this space!

Banana Loaf

Makes 8-10 slices

Ingredients
270g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
200g peeled bananas, mashed
280g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
140g unsalted butter, melted

A 23 x 13-cm loaf tin, greased and dusted with flour

Preheat the oven to 170oC/325oF/Gas 3.

Put the sugar and eggs in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat until well incorporated. Beat in the mashed bananas.

Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger to the sugar mixture. Mix it thoroughly until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the egg mixture. Pour in the melted butter and beat until all the ingredients are well mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.