Hummingbird Banana Loaf

This banana loaf is really moist, really sponge-y and not too banana-y. It’s perfect on its own, but you could also add a handful of walnuts, pecans or chocolate chips. It’s a great recipe for many reasons – it’s one way to use up old bananas (the riper they are, the better), it’s really simple to make and it’s even easier to transport. The quantities here would probably fill one large loaf tin but mine are small so I split it into two. 

Makes 2 small banana loaves 

Gather your equipment

Essential equipment:  lined loaf tin, scales, small bowl, big bowl, mixing spoon, smaller spoon, fork, measuring spoons

Optional equipment: electric whisk, spatula

• Unless you have special cake tin liners, line your tin with greaseproof paper. Sometimes all you need is a rectangular piece of greaseproof paper in the base of the tin, and oil/butter for the sides.

Gather your ingredients

For this recipe you'll need: 270g brown sugar, 2 eggs, 200g peeled bananas, 280g plain flour, 140g butter/margarine and 1tsp each of: cinnamon, ginger, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder

Optional: 50-100g chopped walnuts, 75g chocolate chips (or more if you want!)

• The riper the bananas, the better. I mean it - the kinds of bananas that are absolutely horrible to eat are perfect for this recipe.

Prepare to bake

Preheat oven to 170°C and line your cake tins if you haven’t already. Finely mash your bananas in the bowl, using a fork.

Mix sugar and eggs

Mix the sugar and eggs in the big bowl, using a fork, and making sure all the lumps of brown sugar have been separated. Use an electric whisk if you have one.

Add mashed banana

Stir in the mashed banana; don’t worry if there are still some banana-y lumps.

Melt butter

Melt your butter in the same bowl used for the banana. I do this via short bursts in the microwave, alternatively you could do this in a small saucepan over a gentle heat.

Add flour, spices and raising agents

Add your flour, ginger, cinnamon, bicarbonate of soda and baking powder all at once to the sugar/eggs/banana bowl and stir until incorporated.

Add the melted butter

Immediately add the melted butter and stir in (doesn’t the middle picture just look SO appetising?!).

Bake

Spread into your cake tins and bake for 55-60 minutes. When it’s ready it should be firm to the touch, and a skewer/toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean. Leave them to cool slightly in the tin, then remove and allow to cool completely before slicing.

And here's one banana loaf all sliced up and ready to go... I finished slicing this one, put it back together and wrapped it in tin foil to bring with me to the office. It went down well! Then again I don't know many people who would turn down free cake.

Hummingbird banana loaf: - fills two small loaf tins 270g soft light brown sugar 2 eggs 200g peeled bananas, mashed 280g plain flour 1tsp baking powder 1tsp bicarbonate of soda 1tsp ground cinnamon 1tsp ground ginger 140g butter/margarine, melted Preheat oven to 170°C Beat together the sugar and eggs. Add the mashed bananas and stir well Add the flour, spices, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, stir thoroughly Pour in the melted butter, beat until everything is well incorporated Pour into lined loaf tins, bake for roughly 1 hour until the cake is firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the tin for a while, then turn out Recipe originally from: The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook