Some of you will already know that we only eat bananas in cake or bread form! Tom isn’t a fan of fruit, and I can’t get on with the texture of bananas at all. But in a cake, we both agree that they are delicious. This was the first banana bread recipe I ever made, and I was surprised that it wasn’t already on my blog to be honest! I found the recipe so long ago that I now have no idea where it is from, so I’m sorry that I can’t link up to the original recipe. I have scribbled ‘light brown sugar’ next to where the original recipe said to use caster sugar – I think the brown sugar really makes a difference here. Whatever you use, it’s really easy to make and is a good way to use up brown bananas – the browner, the better. 

Ingredients

150g/5oz light brown sugar

50g/2oz butter, softened

2 large eggs

1 tbsp water

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

200g/7oz plain flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, water and bananas until well blended. Add the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and baking powder, and mix well until everything is combined.

3. Pour into the loaf tin – it will rise well so leave a couple of centimetres from the top to allow for this (you can make muffins if there’s any mixture left).

4. Bake for about an hour until the top is firm and golden brown. When removed from the oven, allow to cool on its side in the tin for 10 minutes, before removing and allowing to cool completely on a wire rack.

This banana bread will keep in an air-tight tin for a few days – if it lasts that long!

Post updated 2nd July 2016.