Recipe: Banana & walnut loaf cake

Recipe: Banana & walnut loaf cake 

Banana bread is best served warm from the oven, cut in thick slices and spread with butter. 

The addition of Walnuts gives this cake a lovely texture but you can substitute any nuts you prefer-pistachios or hazelnuts also work well.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking: 35 minutes
Serves: 8

Ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
115g butter, softened
115caster sugar, plus 1 tbsp
2 large eggs
115g flour
3 tbsp buttermilk
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground mixed spice
100g Walnuts, coarsely chopped

For the caramel Glaze
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
¼txp fine sea salt

Method:

Heat oven to 180C/gas 4. Grease and line 2x450g loaf tins. Put the bananas in a bowl and mash with a fork.

Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk until light creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the mashed banana, flour, buttermilk, cinnamon, mixed spice and Walnuts, and fold in until everything is incorporated.

Divide the batter between prepared loaf tins and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, until the cakes are firm to the touch and a knife inserted in the middle of each cake comes out clean. Allow the loaves to cool slightly while you make the glaze.

To make the salted caramel glaze heat the butter sugar, syrup and salt in a saucepan until the butter has melted and the sugar dissolved. drizzle the caramel over the warm cakes to glaze and leave for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. These cakes will keep for up to 3 days if stored in an airtight container
.