I have baked so many loaves of this Banana Bread that I’ve lost count. I never like dumping very ripe bananas so this is my fail safe recipe to use them all up. A popular treat for my teen, it was also a big hit with the two teens that once lived next door. Their mother remarked that it was the only way one of them would eat fruit!

Like all loaf cakes, it is meant to taste nicer the next day. I am unsure if this is indeed true as I have never known it to last that long!

Ingredients
1lb over ripe bananas, mashed
7 ounces, self-raising flour
¼ level teaspoon, bicarbonate of soda
Pinch salt
6 ounces, castor sugar
3 ounces, unsalted butter softened
2 medium eggs
Sunflower oil

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180 C degrees
2. Line a loaf tin with baking parchment and brush with sunflower oil
3. Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together
4. Mash the bananas
5. Cream the sugar and butter together until pale
6. Beat the eggs
7. Add the eggs to the sugar and butter mix in three stages, mixing well each time until combined
8. Add the bananas and combine thoroughly
9. Add the dry ingredients in three stages, combining well each time
10. Turn the mix into a loaf tin and bake in the oven for about 30 minutes
11. Cover in tinfoil and bake for a further 35-40 minutes
12. Test with a skewer to see that it is baked throughout
13. When done, turn onto a wire rack to cool

*There is a vegan version in the ‘Vegetarian and Vegan’ section.