Growing up my Nan would always have a gorgeous banana cake waiting for all us grandkids whenever we arrived at my Nan & Pop's place. I remember the days I would spend in the kitchen with her making the cakes, licking the spoon and watching them bake whilst sipping on our Tea's (I was only 5 or 6 at the time!) From a young age I believed that no-ones banana cake could beat my Nan's but what I didn't realise was that putting Nutella Buttercream on a simple banana cake changes everything! So, while technically it is still my Nan's Banana Cake recipe, I have put my own twist on it just for Nutella Day - and added a few healthier options to the recipe to counteract the large amount of sugar sitting atop the cake!
Ingredients
0.5 cup butter
0.5 cup caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs
2 large bananas (that have gone brown and spotty)
1 tsp bicarb soda
50 mL oat milk
1 cup self-raising flour
0.5 cup wholemeal flour (optional, if not using just replace with self-raising flour)
Note: Regular full cream cows milk will work perfectly fine, I
just decided to use oat milk for a change & it works perfectly.
How to
In a large bowl cream the butter, then once creamed add the sugar and vanilla essence.
Combine ingredients well before adding the eggs one at a time - mixing one in completely before adding the second one. Mix well.
Mash up both of your banana's and on medium speed combine into mixture.
Dissolve the bicarb soda into the oat milk (or plain milk) and slowly start to pour the liquid into the cake mixture while mixing on a low - medium speed. Alternate between adding milk and flour to create the perfect consistency.
Pour into a large greased or lined cake tin and place in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 180°C
I personally never take the cooking time too seriously as every oven cooks at a different speed. The best way to a perfectly cooked cake is to use a baking skewer (typically metal) and insert it into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is perfectly cooked or overcooked/dry and if it comes out with cake on it then it's undercooked. The only way to ensure it's perfectly cooked and not overcooked is to check every 5 or so minutes when the cake has been cooking for around 80% of the estimated time, that way you can figure out if it's perfectly cooked before its overcooked and take it out to cool.
Leave out to cool for around an hour or two before icing with my Fluffy Nutella Buttercream Frosting. Sometimes I even like to put the cake into the freezer for 20 mins to cool it down faster (because I am impatient - I just want to ice it and eat it!) and it also helps to make the cake just a little more moist.
(I always struggle with recipes and over/under mixing - so here is a handy little guide for you).
Electric mixer settings
Creaming butter - high (1-2 min)
Adding sugar & vanilla - medium (0.5-1 min)
Adding eggs – low (1-2 min)
Adding banana's – medium (2-3 min)
Adding bicarb, milk & flour - low - medium (2-3 min)
This recipe also works great as muffins! You can also freeze these cakes but just make sure you freeze them before frosting them.
If you give this recipe a go, let us know! As always you can send me pics on instagram - just hashtag #eatthecatwalk and tag me @jessimalouf. You can send me a message on twitter or tumblr (@jessimalouf) or just comment below! If you have links to your Nutella recipes on your blog, post the link below & I'll check it out.
Another few recipes coming soon!
Till next time, stay sweet!
Xx Jess
