I’m return from the gym at 7.30am and notice some overripe bananas and decide that it’s the right moment to invent a Veganuary recipe for banana loaf. I’m so glad I did as it is the best ever banana bread without a doubt. And I’ve a clever little trick up my sleeve that was a guess that works perfectly. So get shopping and get these ingredients in and lets get baking.
From these overripe lovelies and their freshly shelled friends (the nuts were brought from France and are so fresh and delicious) to a loaf cake from heaven.
Two things have always irritated me with a banana loaf: I don’t want spices in it. It’s about bananas on the turn for me and they are glorious in their natural flavour and secondly I just want to make it in one bowl. It should be simple and quick. So pop your oven on to 170C and the kettle on to boil for a rewarding coffee after you’ve mixed the cake and shoved it in the oven.
Ingredients
30g gram flour (chickpea flour)
30g tapioca flour
150ml boiling water
60g plant based butter or oil
180g soft brown sugar
40g dark brown molasses sugar
450g bananas
250g self-raising flour
1tsp baking powder
large pinch of salt
100g walnuts
Method
So this is my first little new notion for eggs in a cake and it works a treat. In a large cake basin put the gram flour and the tapioca flour. Pour on boiling water and whisk with a hand mixer.
With the water being hot it is so easy to add the vegan butter and whisk it in.
Then add the sugars and blend again. One bowl baking – love it. The small amount of dark brown sugar add that little edge of molasses richness to the baked cake.
Roughly break the bananas up and just hand blend them into the mixture next. I can’t be arsed to mash them up in separate bowls. They’re so soft from being overripe that this method allows texture to form.
Gently fold in the flour. Nope! Whisk it in and sod the clouds that rush out. This is a quick cake to make.
Roughly chop the walnuts. Keep aside about a quarter to sprinkle on the top.
Stir in the walnuts. OK so I didn’t use the hand whisk here. Might break it! Pour and spoon it into a greased and floured long bread tin.
Sprinkle the remaining walnuts on top and then bake in the oven for 50 minutes to an hour. A cocktail stick will come out clean when it is ready. Serve naked or with a little of your favourite spread.
