First I should say that there is absolutely nothing experimental about this. Well, nothing other from the fact I added a few sultanas and also increased the baking time. It felt like an experiment though because I felt a bit lost when my cake was still more sloppy mixture than cake-like when I tested it. It’s the oven. It never really recovered from baking 150 croissants in a day during the Bake Off practice. The buttons melted. The rubber seal fell off. It gave up. Lucky I have another oven really. How spoilt.
I would say this is a very fine banana loaf indeed. I have some weird ongoing obsession with trying every banana loaf recipe known to man. I don’t know why. I want to find one that doesn’t taste healthy. The problem being that for me, banana, by its very nature, tastes of health food. One day… (Ponders what banana-lard cake might taste like.)
This makes a whopping loaf and the recipe is by the wonderful and tall and dashing (I can say that ’cause I’ve met him) Eric Lanlard from his book Home Bake though I have messed with it as I can be relied upon to do. So no nuts. And some uninvited dried fruit. And no poppy seeds. Sorry Eric. It’s not like I know best or anything but I can’t help myself.
125g butter
175g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
300g plain flour
1 tsp bicarb soda
150mls milk
3 very ripe bananas
1 tsp vanilla extract
Large handful of sultanas
Preheat the oven to Gas 4/180C. Grease a 25 x 11cm loaf tin. Cream the butter and sugar together with a handheld electric mixer. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Sift in half the flour and all of the bicarb, stir with a metal spoon. Then add in the milk and the rest of the flour. Give it a good mix with the spoon again.
Fold in the mashed bananas, vanilla extract and the sultanas then pop in the loaf tin and level with a spoon. Bake for about 1 hour, though my pesky oven meant I baked this for 1 hour 15 minutes maybe even more. Cool in the tin for 20 minutes before releasing the beast. If you get impatient it will fall about in pieces. Very nice with an incredibly British cup of tea though I think Eric might prefer a coffee somehow.
Get the monthly newsletter...
and subscribe to get all recipes straight to your inbox!
Holly Bell 
I have a banana and butterscotch cupcake recipe if you fancy it. I know its not the same as a banana loaf, but the icing certainly takes away that healthy taste!
Sounds great! Post away! X
Holly
Cupcake Ingredients:
60g unsalted butter
150g caster sugar
1 egg
2 ripe bananas, mashed
120ml buttermilk
150g plain flour
½tsp salt
½tsp bicarbonate of soda
1½tsp white wine vinegar
Method:
Preheat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3.
Put the butter and the sugar in a freestanding electric mixer with a
paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on
medium speed until light and fluffy and well mixed. Turn the mixer up
to high speed, slowly add the egg and beat until everything is well
incorporated.
Add the banana to the
butter mixture and mix thoroughly until evenly combined. Turn the mixer down to slow speed and slowly pour in half
the buttermilk. Beat until well mixed, then add half the flour, and
beat until everything is well incorporated. Repeat this process until
all the buttermilk and flour have been added.
Scrape down the side of
the bowl again. Turn the mixer up to high speed and beat until you have
a smooth, even mixture. Turn the mixer down to low speed and add the
salt, bicarbonate of soda and vinegar.
Beat until well mixed, then turn
up the speed again and beat for a couple more minutes.
Spoon the mixture into the paper cases until two-thirds full and
bake in the preheated oven for 20–25 mins, or until the sponge bounces
back when touched.
Butterscotch Icing:
I never measure the icing ingredients, I simply combine butter and icing sugar with butterscotch syrup, such as you would put on ice-cream. It’s a stickier than regular butter icing, but it will still pop and hold its shape
Wow – sounds delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this! Xx
Holly
Feeling very proud after making this…has turned out beautifully even for a non-baker like me!!
Ah – that’s fab! I hope you enjoy eating it. xx
Holly thanks so much for the recipe!! Been looking everywhere for a great banana loaf!! One of the men at the charity coffee affternoon told me he could give me a run for my money with his banana loaf but we shall see if he is right now i have this recipe !! :)
Made the banana loaf today, and it tastes fantastic, I’m very impressed with myself!
Hurrah! Pleased you like it! xxxx
I will try this recipe as it differs from the one I generally make.
I melt 75g honey and 50g soft brown sugar , I then add it to 3 mashed bananas, 225g self raising flour and 75g sultanas pre soaked it boiling water and a little bicarb of soda (drain before adding).
Mix all ingredients together, it seems a little stiff but a good mix and it is fine.
Pop in a lined/greased 2lb loaf tin and bake at 180’c for about 40 mins until a skewer comes out clean.
Leave until the following day before slicing……………really moreish spread with a little Nuttella.
Thanks for the recipe! Sounds lovely. Adore honey in cakes. xx
Hi Holly I am currently residing in the states and they have simply no idea what Bicarb Soda is, I take it I can use baking soda as a replacement, and is it the same thing?
Hey Emma, baking powder (in the uk) is usually a combination of cream of tartar and bicarb so if you take a look in the ingredients of the baking soda you have found it should tell you whether it’s actually bicarb or the more gentle baking powder combination. Bicarb acts faster than baking powder and I’ll be honest that I haven’t tried substituting it. If I were to do that I would add another half teaspoon though this is an assumption and not something I have tried and tested! Hope this helps. Xx Sent using BlackBerry® from Orange
weirdly, I made banana loaf yesterday, a very similar recipe, BUT I soak my sultanas in booze (Baileys because it lurks in the back of the cupboard unused otherwise) for an hour or so beforehand. It adds a lovely flavour but it isn’t strong enough to put the kids off.
In fact 6 kids pretty much devoured the result!
That sounds like a fine idea… and I bet they slept well! x
Fingers crossed….!
I put cinnamon in mine. Delicious!!
http://recipesfromanormalmum.com/2012/02/06/experimental-banana-loaf/
That looks good! I just made banana cake today and well it doesn’t really taste nice. There was no sugar in the recipe, maybe that was the problem! I might try this version! Thanks!
Oh I’m rather a fan of sugar…
Looks delush will be trying this very soon xxx
Glad to see you used a teaspoon of bicarb rather than a tablespoon like the celeb bakers x
Ha ha – John, you know me, precise by nature!
Holly, this looks YUM. I love banana cake too, it’s like proper, lardy cake in a healthy glasses-and-nose type disguise. I’m thinking this might be a good one to try with my Smalls? I need an easy recipe to get us started on our cooking, so far we’ve just done Yorkshire Pud batter together. This might be just the ticket. Thanks
Hi Emma, this is totally the kind of recipe you could make with little ones. My son Charlie has made this twice in the last few week and loved all the stirring and mashing. He did suggest more sugar and some chocolate but then he says even roast pork needs more sugar. It’s one of his fave words. xx