A simple banana loaf with cinnamon, ginger and nuts
Yes, yes, yes! Almost everyone has their own (and much-preferred) banana loaf recipe. However for those who don't have such a thing, and fancy a simple way of making a tasty spiced banana loaf for their cup of tea - here it is.
The moistness, or (if you hate the word 'moist') wetness of the bread is easily altered by the number of bananas.
INGREDIENTS
175g caster sugar
100g butter
2 eggs
almond extract - if you have it/want it - it's not compulsory
3 ripe bananas - or 4 if you like it moist
ground cinnamon - a goodly amount
ground ginger - a goodly amount
chopped hazelnuts - or walnuts - or whatever takes your fancy
225g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder, or about 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda. You can replace baking powder in a recipe with about 1/3 to 1/3 bicarb. Or reverse that, depending on which you have in the kitchen
flour & butter for the baking tin
Watch the video
METHOD
Heat the oven to 180ºC
Put the sugar and butter in a bowl and cream the together - a fork is a good way of doing this
Add the eggs and beat the whole lot together
If you're using almond extract, or vanilla essence, now is the time to add that
Add 2 bananas (three if you want it wet) and mash them in
Add the cinnamon and ginger, mix through
Add the flour and the baking powder/bicarbonate of soda
Mix it all together
Add the chopped nuts - the size of the pieces depends on whether you like big bits of nut in your loaf
Smear a baking tin with butter, then sprinkle flour into it and shake around so the flour sticks to the butter
Pour the mix into the baking tin and bake for 1 hour
Leave it in the tin for about 10 minutes, then tip out and set on a wire rack to cool
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