Banana, walnut & sultana cake

I don't make banana cakes too often as I don't particularly like them. There's too many large, bland (and often dry) ones. Or else they have that slight stickiness and a none too pleasant banana smell about them. Instead I've been happier to freeze my ultra ripe bananas for smoothies instead for their luscious creaminess.

But there is one banana cake recipe I've always kept. Many moons ago one of the playgroup mothers made this cake and it's about the only one I've ever loved.  

It's not a deep, high-rise cake but sits low in the tin, is wonderfully moist, slightly spicy and has the crunchiness of the walnuts and chewy sultanas.  

Serve it as a cake but it's just as good straight from the oven as a dessert with some whipped cream or vanilla mascarpone. I like to serve it with Greek yoghurt.

Banana, walnut & sultana cake

2 bananas, peeled and chopped
1 cup walnuts, quartered
1 cup sultanas
2/3 cup soft brown sugar
100g butter, melted
1 egg
1 cup self-raising flour 
2 teaspoons mixed spice

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and line a 23cm cake tin.

Mix the bananas, walnuts, sultanas and sugar in a mixing bowl. 

Beat the egg and melted butter together and stir in to the banana mixture. 

Sift the flour and spices together then add them to the mix, stirring gently just to incorporate.

Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the top springs back when pressed and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

maple banana porridge

Right now in the winter months, I’ve been giving the muesli a break and am fuelling up with porridge in the mornings.  Creamy and warming, it’s quick and easy to make in the microwave and, of course, very nutritious.  If I’ve got a little extra time, I make this maple banana porridge, adapted from one made in a pot by Bill Granger.  This microwave version cuts down on the amount of sugar used (Bill uses brown sugar and maple syrup) but sugar lovin’ me still loves it.

Slicing the banana thinly ensures it almost dissolves into the porridge. 

Serve with milk and a little cream and of course maple syrup. 

Bill Granger serves buttered apples with his version, making it the most wonderful dish.  I save that for when I’ve got plenty of time.

maple banana porridge

For one serving (I prefer a smallish serving so feel free to adjust amounts)

¼ cup rolled porridge oats

½ banana, thinly sliced

1/3 cup water

¼ cup milk

a wee pinch of salt

to serve

1 tsp maple syrup

1 tsp cream

milk

Place the porridge oats, banana, water, milk and salt in a microwaveable dish (for extra convenience use your cereal bowl if it is suitable for the microwave and is deep enough for porridge not to spill over).  Stir and microwave on high for one minute.

Remove from the microwave and stir again.  Return to the microwave for another 30 second blast.  Remove and stir.   Microwave a further 30 seconds (keep an eye on it and hit the stop button if it starts to overflow).  The porridge should have cooked and be fairly creamy at this point.  If not, microwave for a further 20 seconds or so until it has reached a consistency to your liking. 

Transfer to a serving bowl (warmed would be good).  Drizzle with one teaspoon of maple syrup and a little cream and serve with milk.