Banana Cake - adapted from Julie Goodwin

 Adapted with variations from Julie Goodwin’s Essential Cookbook

3 very ripe bananas,

125g butter, unsalted, melted

2 eggs, beaten

2 teas vanilla extract

¾ cup brown sugar

1 ½ cups self-raising flour

1 teas bicarb soda (not in Julie’s recipe)

¼ teas cinnamon

2 quantities cream cheese icing (see recipe below)

1 quantity candied walnuts (see recipe below)

1. Preheat oven to 180oC (170oC fan forced). Grease and line two 23cm cake tins. ( used a medium size loaf pan)

2. In a large bowl, mash the bananas thoroughly. Add the butter, eggs, vanilla and sugar and mix well. Fold through the flour and cinnamon.

3. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for about 45mins or until risen, dark golden and coming away from the edges of the tin. Cool in the tin 10 mins before turning out onto a wire rack.

4. When completely cooled, cut each cake in half horizontally to create 4 layers. (I skipped this part and only iced the top - see photo)

5. Spread bottom layer with ¼ of icing and stack next layer of cake and repeat with the rest of the icing until you have icing on top. Sprinkle with candied walnuts.

Cream Cheese Icing (1x quantity)

250g cream cheese

½ cup icing sugar mixture

1 teas vanilla extract

Combine the cream cheese, icing sugar mixture and vanilla in a bowl. Beat with electric mixture until light and fluffy.

Candied Walnuts

1 cup walnuts

1 cup icing sugar

Place the walnuts in a medium frypan over medium-high heat. Toast, stirring for a couple of minutes until fragrant. Sift the icing sugar over the walnuts and stir with a spoon until the sugar becomes liquid and turns golden. Tip onto a tray lined with baking paper and use the spoon to separate the nuts so they are not in a big clump. Allow to cool then break into pieces.