Banana bread is something I usually whip together in a couple of minutes, without too much thought or attention, purely to use up those last few bananas that are over ripening in the fruit bowl. This time, as I have a little more time on my hands, I thought I'd show the bananas a little more love and dedication! I also don’t get to use my bundt tin enough and I always feel there's something a little grand and decadent about a bundt cake! So here follows the recipe for a fancy pants banana bread to fill up a few hours of your day…
Ingredients…
170g butter
250g sugar- light brown or caster
3 eggs
380g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1tsp vanilla extract
350ml buttermilk- or regular milk with 1½ tsp lemon juice
3 ripe bananas
100g dates, chopped and covered with 75ml boiling water and left for 10minutes to soak
Icing- 30g butter/60g brown sugar/ 1½tbsp milk/ 75g icing sugar
Method…
Pre heat your oven to 180/160fan and grease a bundt tin- if you don't have a bundt tin a regular cake tin is fine!
Cream together the butter and sugar in a stand mixer or with an electric whisk. Once light and fluffy, beat in the eggs, followed by the mashed banana.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then alternate between adding the flour and the buttermilk, roughly in thirds, until fully mixed together.
Finally stir through the date mixture before pouring the batter into your tin.
Pop into the oven for 50mins- 1 hour, until golden brown and a skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool before tipping out onto a board.
To make the icing- melt the butter with the brown sugar and milk, then simmer for a few minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool and then beat in the icing sugar until you get a good icing consistency.
Drip/drizzle/drape the icing over the top of the cake, as much or as little as you like and scatter fudge pieces on top- or of you prefer any chopped nuts work well too. Allow the icing to set a little and then slice up and enjoy!
