Banana and sultana bread

Have you ever looked at the ingredients section on some cakes and biscuits packet and not even been able to pronounce the words let alone know what they are. Let alone the fact that these products have a shelf life of six months sometimes.

With the amazing weather the fruit in our fruit bowl seems to be ripening at break neck speed and attracting little fruit flies from near and far driving me potty.
With all this in mind and a glut of over ripe bananas this cake came to fruition.

Banana and sultana cake

85g coconut palm sugar or caster sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
150ml sunflower oil
3-4 medium bananas mashed
250g wholemeal self raising flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
zest of 1 orange finely grated
100g sultanas or dried apricots chopped


Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celicus and line a 2lb loaf tin or 20cm springform time, you could also make individual muffins i imagine about 12 standard sizes.

Put the sugar, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk by hand or with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes or until creamy and increased in volume. Gradually pour in the oil in a steady stream and whick in the banana mush.

Sift together the cinnamon and flour and tip the bran from the flour in at the end, fold into the wet mixture with the zest and the sultanas.
Tip into your chosen tin and bake on the middle shelf for approximately 45-50 minutes. Leave in the tin when cooked for about 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. The smell is so warming and inviting. This cake would also be lovely toasted with butter and jam or nutella.Or heated slightly and topped with plain yoghurt as a pudding.

It will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days or just slice and freezer in batches.