Easy banana cake

So the whole school run thing is exhausting. Not for the kids. For me. I had no idea how disorganised I was until I actually had to be somewhere for fear of incurring the wrath of the headmistress. I’ve had proper jobs pre children, but they were all in advertising where you do have to turn up for work at some point in the morning, but there’s no bell, no clocking in and out. And well, it was all very civilised and expected that if you rocked up late you worked later. Scrap that, we all worked late anyway. We laughed in the face of a 50 hour week.

So now I am being brought back to school rules and regimes as my eldest son has started school. And I find myself craving nursery cakes, the kind we mums produce for children as a treat when really we’re smuggling fruit and wholemeal stuff into their little bodies.

Slightly adapted from Mumsnet

One year ago: Death by chocolate cake and Lemon brioche

Two years ago: Macarons and Sausage and potato pie

Three years ago: Mince pies and Easy cheesy pasta

Banana recipes: Mini banoffee pavs and Banana & custard cupcakes and Joyful banana, butterscotch and fig traybake and Banana and custard melts and Pecan and banana mini pavs and Banoffee Victoria sponge

Easy banana cake

Ingredients:

• 4oz soft, salted butter
• 6oz dark soft brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature, beaten
• 3 large bananas, ripe and mashed
• 8oz wholemeal self-raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• A handful of raisins
• A large bar of milk chocolate for the top

Criminally easy. Preheat the oven to gas mark 4/180C and grease and line a cake tin – I used a 22cm wide one but anything will do. Cream the butter and sugar until light and creamy then add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition. If the mixture curdles just add a tbsp of flour. Then beat in the bananas next, then beat in the flour, baking powder and raisins for a minute or so. Spoon into the tin and level with a spoon. Bake for 40 – 60 minutes until a skewer comes out of the middle of the cake clean. The larger the diameter of the tin the shorter the cooking time as a rule.

Whilst still warm break the chocolate over the top and leave to melt into the cake as a cheat’s icing. Enjoy after school with tired limbs and a brain full of facts about owls and worms.

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