Banana & Walnut Loaf

[Countessa]

Another easy one....

Ingredients:
6 medium bananas
6 oz (175 g) walnut pieces
pinch of salt
1 rounded teaspoon baking powder
1 level teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 oz (110 g) plain flour
4 oz (110 g) wholewheat flour
grated zest 1 orange
grated zest 1 lemon
4 oz (110 g) butter at room temperature
6 oz (175 g) soft dark brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature

For the topping:
1 level tablespoon demerara sugar

Directions:

1. Spread the nuts on a baking sheet and toast lightly in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Leave them to cool, then chop roughly.

2. Peel and mash 4 of the bananas to a purée with a fork, and peel and chop the other 2 into ½ inch (1 cm) chunks.

3. Sift the salt, baking powder, cinnamon and both the flours into a large mixing bowl.

4. add all the remaining ingredients (except the chopped banana and nuts) and, using an electric hand whisk, begin to beat the mixture, first on a slow speed for about half a minute, then increasing the speed to mix everything thoroughly and smoothly. Then lightly fold in the chopped banana and walnuts. You may need to add a drop of milk to give a mixture that drops easily off a spoon when you give it a sharp tap on the side of the bowl.

5. Next, pile the mixture into the tin, level the top with the back of a spoon and sprinkle on the demerara sugar. Bake in the centre of the oven for 1¼-1½ hours, until the cake feels springy in the centre. After that, remove it from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before turning it out on to a wire tray. Then let it get completely cold before serving or transferring it to a cake tin.

[HEPZIBAH]

[face=Comic Sans MS]Yummy - one of my favourites.[/face]

[Countessa]

I love the word for walnuts in Arabic - 'ain el gamal' (the camel's eye!!)

[BBLUX]

Used to be one of my favourites many years ago. My mother used to make it. Fran cannot stand bananas so I'm not likely to get it now