Banana cake with walnuts Recipe
Banana cake with walnuts is a clever way to use up very ripe bananas that nobody wants to eat anymore. It’s moist, fragrant and a bit like a cross between a Polish fruit loaf and American banana bread. It’s perfect as a sweet breakfast or a snack to take to work.
Banana cake with walnuts is a homely way to rescue overripe bananas that no one feels like eating anymore – instead of ending up in the bin, they turn into a moist, aromatic bake. Its texture is somewhere between a Polish fruit loaf and American banana bread, with a distinct cinnamon aroma and crunchy walnut pieces. It’s a cake that doesn’t require a mixer or fancy decoration, yet it disappears from the plate faster than it can cool down.
Chef's tips
The more ripe, even slightly “tired” bananas with brown spots you use, the better the flavour and sweetness of the cake – fresh, firm bananas won’t give the same result. After combining the wet and dry ingredients, mix only until you no longer see flour; overmixing will make the cake chewy instead of soft. Towards the end of baking, check the centre with a skewer – with banana cakes it’s better to leave a hint of moisture inside than to dry it out completely.
How to serve
It works brilliantly as a quick weekday breakfast – I often pack a slice in a box with natural yoghurt and take it to work instead of a bakery bun. For afternoon coffee, you can serve it slightly warmed with a dollop of thick Greek yoghurt or a spoonful of peanut butter on top. For a weekend breakfast, cut the cake into thick slices, lightly toast them in a dry pan and serve with honey – it tastes like fragrant banana French toast.
Ingredients
- banana - 3 piece
- wheat flour - 250 g
- sugar - 120 g
- egg - 2 piece
- oil - 80 ml
- baking powder - 10 g
- cinnamon - 1 teaspoon
- walnuts - 80 g
- salt - 0.25 teaspoons
- vanillin sugar - 8 g
Preparation
- Preheat the oven to 175°C, top and bottom heat. Line a 25 cm loaf tin with baking paper.
- Peel the bananas and mash them thoroughly with a fork in a large bowl until you have a thick purée with no large chunks.
- Add the sugar, vanillin sugar, eggs and oil to the bananas. Whisk until combined.
- In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix briefly with a spoon or spatula, just until combined – do not overmix.
- Add the chopped walnuts, reserving 1–2 tablespoons for sprinkling on top. Fold in gently.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin, smooth the top and sprinkle with the remaining nuts.
- Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for about 45–50 minutes, until the top is golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out dry or with a few moist crumbs.
- Remove the baked cake from the oven, leave for 10 minutes, then take it out of the tin and cool on a wire rack. Slice only after it has cooled, so the slices don’t crumble.
Storage
Leftover banana cake keeps well wrapped at room temperature for 1–2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also slice and freeze it; defrost individual slices at room temperature or briefly warm them in the oven or toaster.
