I’m really fussy about the ripeness of my bananas. I don’t like them underripe when they stick to your teeth a bit and I don’t like them as soon as they start to get spotty and taste too banana-ey. What a fusspot! This leaves me with a very small window of opportunity to enjoy my bananas so I’m always on the look-out for recipes for using up overripe bananas and this is my current favourite.
It’s a banana and walnut loaf cake. It’s really quick to make and satisfyingly reliable. Also, even though it’s got quite a lot of sugar in it, it doesn’t taste too sweet so you can almost convince yourself it’s a healthy snack 😉
The original recipe came from a book called Cakes & Slices by Murdoch Books. That recipe includes grated dark chocolate which I have omitted and I’ve also reduced the amount of banana slightly.
You’ll see in the pictures that I’ve lined my tin with a special loaf tin liner
I find that this cakes keeps well in a tin for a week but it’s most delicious when it’s still slightly warm and the edges are a bit crunchy.
Banana And Walnut Loaf
Ingredients
- 2 ripe or overripe bananas
- 170 g caster sugar
- 185 g self-raising flour
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 3 tbsp milk
- 90 g walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin (approximately 10 x 20 cm) or use a silicone loaf tin liner.
- Heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4.
- Use a fork to mash the bananas in a mixing bowl.
- Add the sugar and stir to combine.
- Add the flour (sifted), eggs, oil and milk and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the walnuts and mix in gently.
- Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
- Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Leave in the tin for 5 minutes.
- Turn the cake out on to a wire rack and leave to cool.