Banana bread

I would like to start by saying a huge Happy Birthday to Huey. He is 5 today and this was his birthday cake. He asked for this cake and the funny thing is he took one bite and decided he did not like it!

Ingredients:

• 6 very ripe bananas

• 125ml vegetable oil

• 115g butter, softened

• 335g caster sugar

• 4 free-range eggs

• 450g plain flour

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp ground cinnamon

• 1 tsp ground cloves

• ½ tsp salt

• 225g raisins

• 225g pecans

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 200C. Grease and line two medium (or three small) loaf tins.

2. Mash the bananas and vegetable oil together in a bowl and set aside.

3. In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the mashed banana mixture until well combined.

4. Mix the flour, baking powder, ground spices and salt together in another bowl and lightly fold into the banana mixture. Add the raisins and pecans and fold together

lightly.

1. Spoon the cake mixture into the loaf tins and bake in the oven for 1½ hours, or until risen and golden-brown. Check after one hour and reduce the oven temperature slightly if the loaves are browning too quickly on the top, or cover the loaves loosely with aluminium foil.

2. Leave the banana bread to cool in the tins, then turn out. Cover in a thin icing of water and icing sugar and serve in thick slices.

#golden #baking #birthday