Banana Coconut Cake

This cake originated from a Pinterest find from Fat Girl Trapped in a Skinny Body. Just the idea of banana and coconut milk together sent me back to my days (pre-kids) of travelling round South East Asia where bananas and coconut milk were a staple dessert - either with tapioca, or as fritters or pancakes.

I loved the idea of the recipe, but the original one didn't quite work for me with the jarring note of almond essence. So this version I have created takes me back to South East Asia - with the soft brown sugar to remind me of the jaggery, so often used in Thai cooking - helping to add an even fudgier texture. I am going to try it next time with the grated zest of a lime in to up the tropical feel one more level!

Preheat oven to 160C (fan)
Line a 2 lb (large) loaf tin with a baking parchment liner.

Ingredients

3 very ripe bananas mashed
1 cup full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup soft brown sugar
1/2 cup sunflower oil
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup dessicated coconut (unsweetened)


Mash the bananas well and mix in the coconut milk and vanilla. Mix together the oil and sugar with a non electric whisk, add in the eggs, and the dry ingredients, then pour over the banana mix. Mix until combined (it will be quite a runny batter).

Pour in the tin and bake for 50 mins - 1 hour. Check after 25 mins, if it is browning too fast then cover with some foil. It is ready when a skewer comes out clean.

Banana and ginger cake - low fat cake!

Low fat cake seems an oxymoron. But here we have it. A soft, moist cake where the banana and buttermilk mean a reduction of 50% of the butter and 25% of the sugar. Great for breakfast, brunch or afternoon tea. Keeps well for a week.

Banana bread

My adaptation of Nigella's banana bread. But of course it's not really bread but a toffee moist cake that keeps well. I love eating it spread with butter.

Sugar-free american fruit muffins

Healthy cake. Which actually tastes good. Bring it on!

After OD'ing on sugar last night and with multiple half eaten over ripe bananas scattered around the house courtesy of my children, these were just the ticket for a family breakfast. Adapted from Beth Hensperger's Bread for Breakfast

Preheat oven to 170C. Oil 12 cup muffin tin.
2 cups wholemeal plain flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 mashed bananas
juice of 1 orange
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 large eggs 
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup sunflower/ canola oil


1/2 cup chopped pecans or 1 cup fresh blueberries - or a combination of both.


Combine dry ingredients with a balloon whisk. Combine wet ingredients with the whisk. Fold the wet into the dry ingredients. Add nuts or blueberries and fold gently in. Do not over mix. Spoon into the muffin tin. Bake for 20 mins until risen, golden and not wet dough inside when tested with a skewer.

Serve by themselves or with butter and a drizzle of honey.

Hummingbird Cake

For Mary

A variation on the carrot cake them- but with no carrot! This recipe is the Hummingbird Bakery's signature cake, hence the recipe, but they have 3 times the sugar in the icing (it must be terrifyingly sweet). I have also added some brown flour to the mix to add nutrition. In my dear friend Mary's words: "OMG that is like the BEST cake I have ever tasted!" Personally I wouldn't go THAT far... but it does look mighty impressive. Try it and see for yourself.

Banana Loaf Cake

For Amy, Loo and Caragh who all love this cake.

A homely cake which fills the house with a wonderful cakey fug which seductively lets everyone who enters know that you are truly a domestic goddess. A crisp crust and moist springy sponge. Kids love it. And the adults do too! It's perfect for using up those deep brown spotted bananas that populate the fruit bowl.

We eat it plain. You can butter it. Or ice it, with a cream cheese icing, a la carrot cake, or a lemony butter or even lemony water icing. All are divine. Or how about a chocolate butter icing for a kiddies birthday cake (just bake it in a round tin).

It is divine still warm from the oven, but keeps well a few days too as the banana adds moisture. Ring the changes and cater to your individual crowd's needs: add 100 g sultanas (soaked in rum or orange juice to make them extra plump), 100g chocolate chips or chunks, and/ or 60 g chopped pecans or walnuts.

With thanks to Nigella Lawson's How to be a Domestic Goddess and Rose Levy Beranbaum's  The Cake Bible for their combined techniques!