Here is what you get if you search for Banana Cake on this blog: a cake made with banana and various additions of sesame, tahini, black sesame, specaloos, white chocolate, date, coconut.
So I am never far from a recipe to make a cake with over-ripe bananas.
This recipe is a reworking of the pioneer-era (i.e. 2014) Banana, Walnut and Cardamom Cake which was baked in a loaf tin. When I looked at the photo I was not too impressed because it looked like it sagged a bit. Like how we feel at the end of a busy week, a little lift is in order to help us get to the next level of sprightliness.
In order to provide the lift this cake needs, I have changed the way the cake is made, reduced the wholemeal flour and raised the baking temperature. A bundt pan can only help so much. Last Sunday I had to bake a different cake for church as the first one, a lemon and cranberry cake made in a round bundt pan, sank a little upon cooling. I know what I did wrong (not an interesting read) and it was a timely reminder that a great-looking baking pan cannot rescue a rushed attempt when baking.
Today’s cake has turned out very well. I used the wholemeal flour that my neighbour gave us as a thank you for watering their plants when they were away on holiday. Walnuts, as usual, add crunch and fibre. The ground cardamom makes a change from the more common ground cinnamon, which can also be used (just 1 teaspoon) if you do not have cardamom to hand.
For the Cake:
100 g plain flour
80 g wholemeal flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1½ teaspoons ground cardamom (or 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon)
large pinch of fine sea salt
110 g light brown soft sugar
2 large eggs
125 ml sunflower oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
300 g very ripe bananas, lightly crushed with a fork
80 g walnuts, toasted and chopped
10 g each softened butter and plain flour to line the Bundt pan
I used a 6 Cup Anniversary Braided Loaf Pan from Nordicware. The cake can also be made in a 2 pound / 900 g loaf tin or a 20 x 20 cm square tin.
How to Make:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/ 160°C fan.
Brush the (10 g) softened butter evenly over the entire inside of the pan, taking care to fill every corner.
Sift over the (10 g) flour, moving the pan around to coat evenly. Remove the excess flour by turning the pan upside down and giving it a tap (do this over a sink). Set the pan aside.
Sift the plain flour, wholemeal flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, salt and ground cardamom together into a large bowl. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until thick and creamy. Whisk in the oil slowly.
Add the flour mixture and, using a silicon spatula, gently fold into the whisked egg mixture.
Add in the banana and walnuts. Gently fold everything together until well mixed.
Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan.
Level the surface and tap the pan on a folded dishcloth to settle any bubbles.
Bake in the oven for 55 minutes or until the cake bounces back when touched. A metal skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean.
Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
The cake will slice into multiple pieces following the pattern of its raised shape – perfect for sharing at a communal gathering.
It is the Chinese mid-Autumn festival today. Everyone is busy so we are meeting for Sunday lunch instead. I have started preparing the food and am very excited to be celebrating with our extended family. The grand-twins will be six months old then. Looking back to the first days after they were born, I realised I had made another banana cake, with white chocolate and tahini. Since I gave that one away, I will need to make one for ourselves soon. For this Sunday I intend to make a chiffon cake, as I would like everything to be round (or at least served on round plates), to reflect the full moon and to wish for a rounded life ahead.