Easy Banana Cake

I was going to give you a recipe for a chocolate cake (I will get there another day!), but when I was in the kitchen earlier, I realised there were a few, rather sad looking, overipe bananas in the fruit bowl. This can mean only one thing – it’s banana cake time!

I’m sure everyone has their own favourite version, but this quick and easy one really works….

For a 21cm ring cake or a large loaf

3 medium very ripe bananas

1/2 cup canola or other oil

1 cup lightly packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs

1/2 cup milk

2 cups self-raising flour

Preheat the oven to 180°C (or 170°C for fan bake).

Place the bananas in a shallow dish and mash with a fork, working from one end to the other to avoid leaving chunks.

Put the mashed banana in a large bowl, then add the oil, sugars, vanilla, salt and eggs. Beat until the eggs are well blended. Stir in the milk, then add the flour and beat again until well combined.

Pour the batter into a non-stick sprayed 23cm ring pan (7-cup capacity) or a large loaf tin.

Bake for 40–50 minutes until the top is golden brown, the centre springs back when pressed, and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean; don't worry if the top cracks slightly. Leave to stand in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.

This is particularly good served warm, plain, or dusted with icing sugar, or with ice cream and fresh fruit for dessert. Or leave to cool completely and ice with chocolate icing below.

Chocolate Icing

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp boiling water

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

1 cup icing sugar, sifted

To make the icing, measure the cocoa and butter into a small bowl. Add the boiling water and mix to a paste. Add the vanilla essence and icing sugar and beat until smooth. Adjust the thickness by adding a little extra water or icing sugar if necessary.