Banana Cake

" The best banana cake in the world" by Poh Ling Yeow

 from "poh's kitchen, my cooking adventures"

 According to Poh Ling Yeow, who was runner-up of MasterChef (Australia) 2009, this is the fluffiest, most moist banana cake, you'll ever taste.  Paired with lemon icing and a sprinkle of chopped hazelnuts (I used pecans).

It was my sister's birthday, and she is the queen of banana cakes, and has her own food blog! No pressure! I'm either stupid, or courageous!

 

 Cake ingredients

125 g unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup (115g) brown sugar, firmly pressed down

1/2 cup (115g) caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or natural vanilla extract

2 large free-range eggs

1 1/2 cups (185g) plain flour, sifted

2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder, sifted

1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), sifted

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60ml) full cream milk

3 overripe bananas, mashed

Icing ingredients

50 g good quality salted butter, softened

1/2 cup (60g) icing sugar

2-3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

1/4 cups (35g) roasted pecans, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160 Celcius (150 C fan forced).  Line a 20 cm round cake tin with baking paper or grease and flour your tin.
2. With an electric mixer, cream the butter, both sugars and vanilla until pale and fluffy.  
3. Add 1 egg at a time, mixing thoroughly each time.   
4. Add the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, and fold in with a wooden spoon until fully incorporated.
5. Add the milk and banana, and fold in.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake on the middle shelf for about 40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes before running a knife around the tin to release.
8. Cool on a wire rack.  If you have used baking paper for the base and sides of the tin, the cake will easily fall out.

 

1. To make the icing, combine butter, the sugar and lemon juice in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy.  
2. Spread over the top of the cake. (It won't seem much, but it is the perfect amount) and sprinkle with the pecans.
3. Enjoy!