Easy Peasy Banana Cake for Busy Mumsies

  

Be warned!

This cake is seriously meant for a very busy someone who craves for something adjustably sweet, fresh, fast, tasty, home-baked and more importantly, if that someone is in possession of some blackened bananas lying in the kitchen somewhere.  My advice is “Do NOT thrash the bananas!”

That’s exactly what happened to me recently.  With the warmer temps of late, fruits lying in my kitchen untouched, started to scream out to me.  

“Eat me, or else…!“

Yep… That’s exactly what my 3 bananas reacted. The smooth yellow peels turned almost black!  

  

“See, I’m not as attractive now, but I’m definitely sweeter than my yellow alter ego“.  LOL!

Easy Peasy

While I was making this cake, my mind flashed back to a recent weekend when I had some friends over for lunch at my house. After hearing their feedbacks on how little time they could spare in their kitchen, running after toddlers and literally getting involved with the busy extra-curricular activities of their young kids, I could swear that this cake is made for that category of Mums *wink*

By the way, I have passed the stage of running after hyper-active toddlers and being a chauffeur for very young kids , but I AM still a busy Mum to 2 quite demanding teen-aged boys, working full time every work week through weekend. Damn, I needed that occasional treat of sweetness, adjustable sweetness, that is! Energy!

I was so glad I chanced upon this Banana Cake or Bread recipe from Joy of Baking dot com.  

If you like bananas and Banana Cake like me, this recipe is definitely a keeper! I promise! Scout’s honour!

Recipe inspired by Stephanie Jaworski of JoyOfBaking.com

Dry Ingredients –

• 230g self-raising flour, sifted
• 150g granulated white sugar (adjustable, of course)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon

  

Wet Ingredients –

• 113g unsalted butter, melted and cooled 
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

  

 Method – 

1. Pre-heat oven to 177 deg C.
2. Grease spray a 24 x 10 x 7 cm loaf pan. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, whisk to combine the dry ingredients. Set aside.
4. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the wet ingredients with a whisk and then a rubber spatula.
5. Lightly fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Do not over mix the batter as we do not want to end up with tough rubbery bread/ cake.
6. Pour batter in baking pan. Depending on your oven, bake the bread for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. 
7. Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes before cooling it further on a wire rack. 

  

  

  

Joy of Baking added chopped nuts, but I left the cake as simple and naked as ever. Less is more 😉

Honestly speaking, there are 3 things I LOVED about this cake.

1. It’s technically hassle-free, ie, with no stand or hand mixer required. Only a whisk and a rubber spatula.
2. The batter is lightly mixed, which cuts down laborious hours in the kitchen.
3. I know this is one of the cakes I have made that my guys would enjoy eating, meaning I would not end up eating the cake myself and feeling guilty of being paunchy. In simple words, I hate food wastage😄

Conclusion : It’s fast and simple to make! It took me less than 15 mins to weigh, sift,  mash, whisk and mix the ingredients to a cake batter, while the baking time depends on your oven. Honestly speaking, the cake would be just right baked for 45 minutes in my oven. I baked this one for 50 mins, while the original recipe indicated 55 to 60 mins. 

  

I’m linking this post to #CookBlogShare 15 which is guest-hosted by Angela from Patisserie Makes Perfect this fortnight on behalf of Lucy from Supergolden Bakes.

  

I love bananas and Banana Cake is definitely one of my favourite desserts. It’s flavourful, healthy and incredibly simple to make, hence I’m linking this post to Best Recipes for Everyone May 2015 (My Favourite Dessert) organised by Fion of XuanHom’s Mom Kitchen Diary , co-hosted by Aunty Young ==>> WITHDRAWN.  See N.B

Enjoy the rest of the week!

Cheers!

N.B. I must apologise to the organisers of BRFE for the month of May 2015 for linking up this post. For obvious reason, a Banana Cake is sort of a sponge cake, hence is one of the restricted forms of dessert for the May theme. I must have overlooked that point. No thanks for being myopic 😁. My sincere apology, Aunty Young. I’ll read more carefully the next time…