Banana and apple loaf

I heart banana bread. I love the warm sweet smells that waft around the house when it’s baking in the kitchen. I’ve always used the same recipe from Tessa Kiros’ Apples For Jam, but on recommendation from my pal Tara, I’m trying out a different version.

Tana Ramsay’s take on the loaf sees the addition of grated apple. She has light Muscovado sugar in her recipe, but I’ve put a mix of light and dark in mine, coz I love the toffee flavour.

This is such a great cake for using up bananas and apples that are on the turn. It’s also a mega quick recipe to knock up.

Banana and apple loaf (Tana Ramsay)
Prep time 15 mins Cooking time 45 mins

150g light Muscovado sugar (I used 50g light 100g dark)
85g unsalted butter, softened
2 large free-range eggs, beaten
4 medium-sized ripe bananas, mashed
1 apple, grated
250g self-raising flour
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (I didn’t have fresh)
1/4 tsp cinanamon
pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 180’C. Grease and line a 900g/2lb loaf tin.
2. Cream together the sugar, butter and eggs
3. Stir in the mashed bananas and apple and sieve in the flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt.
4. Once well mixed, tip into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 mins.
5. Remove to a wire wrack and cool in the tin for 20-30 mins. Remove from the tin onto the rack and finish cooling completely before slicing.

It’s much fruitier than the Tessa Kiros recipe and was more moist.

You could stick some walnuts and sultanas in too to crank up the fruitiness even more. My boys wouldn’t go for that though, so I’ve kept it simple.

I’d certainly make this again – the boys love it!

And in this season of endless picnics it’s great to take a few slices out on a daytrip.