Banana Loaf

I've lost count of the number of times I've made this banana loaf. I now get overripe bananas left on my desk at work, and many of my workmates have learned to grab a piece of cake to save for later, because they run out pretty quickly! Maybe it's the balance of the ginger and cinnamon. Or maybe it's the fact that it's made without cream (or so I was told by someone who never ever has sweets). I've made this so often, I prepared the batter and had it in the oven within 20 minutes after I got home from work! I also highly recommend cooling your loaf overnight if possible, just so it's allowed to cool its own time and fluff up inside.

270g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
200g peeled bananas, mashed
280g plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
140g unsalted butter, melted

a 23 x 13-cm loaf tin, greased and dusted with flour

Makes 8-10 slices

Preheat the oven to 170 deg C (325 deg F) Gas 3.

Put the sugar and eggs in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a hand held electric whisk) and beat until well incorporated. Beat in the mashed bananas.

Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cinnamon and ginger to the sugar mixture. Mix it thoroughly until all the dry ingredients have been incorporated into the egg mixture. Pour in the melted butter and beat until all the ingredients are well mixed.

Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf tin and smooth over with a palette knife. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until firm to the touch and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave the cake to cool slightly in the tin before turning out onto a wire cooling rack to cool completely.