Cakes & Bakes: Banana blueberry cranberry buttermilk cake

We always have a stash of berries in the freezer. It’s usually a lot cheaper than fresh – and often more nutritious, not deteriorating on the supermarket shelves over time. And it means you can get hold of them all year round. It’s usually blueberries from Morrisons, only £2 for a 350 gram container. Sometimes it’s strawberries from Lidl.

I bought a container of fresh cranberries at Christmas when they were on offer, and put them straight into the freezer with the intention of doing something with them at a later date. The first thing I did was to use some of them in a smoothie. I thought the smoothie was quite tasty but after the first sip, Justin pulled a face like he’d just sucked on a lemon!

My second cranberry endeavour has been much more successful. I made a banana blueberry cranberry buttermilk cake. ‘Tasty. More an afternoon cake with a cup of tea, than a dessert cake.’, was the verdict. I think that meant he approved!

Banana, blueberry & cranberry buttermilk cake

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Cook Time 40

Total Time 40

Ingredients

115 g butter softened
250 g caster sugar
2 eggs
60 ml buttermilk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
300 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
¼tsp bicarbonate of soda
pinch tsp salt
3 bananas
100 g blueberries
50 g cranberries I used frozen blueberries & cranberries, but you can use fresh if it's in season

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/Gas mark 4
In a food processor, using the K-beater attachment, cream the butter & caster sugar until fluffy
In a small measuring jug, lightly beat the eggs, before adding them to the butter & sugar, a little at a time, mixing after each addition
Mix in the buttermilk and vanilla extract
In another medium-sized mixing bowl, sift all the dry ingredients together - flour, baking powder, bicarb & salt
Add the dry to the wet mixture in 3 stages, mixing after each addition
Roughly slice the bananas and mix into the batter
With a spatula, fold in the blueberries and cranberries
Pour the batter into a greased 23cm/9inch loose-based deep sandwich cake tin and make level with the spatula
Bake for 35-40 minutes or until an inserted skewer comes away clean
Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before running a sharp knife around the inside circumference of the tin and easing it away
Allow to cool on a wire rack

Cakes & Bakes: Banana upside down cake

Cold, winter weather makes you crave hearty, warm, delicious puds. This easy to make banana upside down cake fulfils the criteria!

We’ve posted a few recipes that use bananas as an ingredient, they’re a daily staple in our diet chez H is for Home – even Fudge loves them!

This banana upside down cake is delicious served warm or at room temperature, with extra butterscotch and/or custard.

Banana upside down cake

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Ingredients

cake mix
3 large bananas
250 g/9oz plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
½ tsp vanilla extract
85 g/3oz butter
125 g/4½oz soft brown sugar
150 ml/5fl oz milk
1 capful dark rum
butterscotch sauce
100 g/3½oz soft brown sugar
150 ml/5fl oz double cream
½ tbs golden syrup
12 g/½oz butter
1 capful dark rum

Instructions

Peel & slice 2 of the bananas
Grease the base of an 18cm/7in loose-based, deep cake tin, line the base with the banana slices, overlapping slightly
Put all the butterscotch sauce ingredients into a small saucepan
Stir over a medium heat using a wooden spoon until the mixture is well combined and begins to bubble
Reduce the heat and simmer for a further 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Pour enough of the sauce into the cake tin to almost cover the bananas
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F/Gas mark 4
In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter with the sugar until fluffy
In a small measuring jug, lightly whisk the eggs
Slowly add the eggs to the sugar & butter mixture, stirring continuously
Add the rum and vanilla essence and mix until combined
Sift the flour and baking powder into a small mixing bowl
Add the flour in 3 batches to the batter, alternating with adding the milk, stirring continuously, until well combined
Chop the last banana into cubes and gently fold into the batter
Pour the mixture carefully & evenly over the butterscotch-covered bananas
Bake for 50-60 minutes until a skewer inserted into the middle comes away clean
Leave to rest for 10 minutes before running a sharp knife around the circumference of the cake tin and carefully flipping it over onto a plate
Lift off the cake tin outer rim, run the knife carefully across the tin bottom before lifting it off
Serve warm with the rest of the (reheated) butterscotch sauce

Cakes & Bakes: Manchester Tart

I’ve been meaning to try to make a Manchester tart for ages. It’s a fairly local dish, although not all that common to find… and consists of a host of things we both love – bananas, dessicated coconut, jam and custard. A Northern dish made using exotic ingredients like bananas and coconut!

I found and slightly adapted a Marcus Wareing recipe I found online. There are lots of stages – it’s not quick to whip up, but it’s a scrumptious, filling dessert – I’ll be making it again soon!

Manchester Tart

Marcus Wareing

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Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Ingredients

For the base

150 g unsalted butter
100 g caster sugar
1 free-range egg beaten
175 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

For the filling

200 g raspberry jam I used some of the raspberry jelly I made in the summer
2 tbsp caster sugar
3 tbsp rum
50 g unsalted butter
4 medium bananas sliced

For the custard

560 ml semi-skimmed milk
3 free-range egg yolks
3 tbsp caster sugar
4 tbsp custard powder

For the topping

50 g dessicated coconut

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/Gas mark 4
Lightly grease or line the base of an 18cm/7inch square cake tin with baking paper
Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, then fold in the flour mixed with the baking powder
Flatten the mixture into the tin using a small angled palette knife and bake for 12-15 minutes or until light golden
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 30 minutes
Spread the dessicated coconut evenly on a shallow baking tray and toast in the oven for no more than 5 minutes. Shaking once or twice to get an even colour
For the filling, spread the cooled base with the jam/jelly
Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Add the sugar to the pan and melt to form a caramel, swirling all the time
Carefully add the rum (I had an unplanned flambé experience!), then whisk in the butter
Add the banana slices and toss gently or turn with tongs until coated & caramelised
Layer on top of the raspberry jam/jelly, then place in the fridge for 30 minutes
For the custard, put the milk in a saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, custard powder and an extra splash of milk together until smooth
Pour a little of the hot milk on to the mixture, whisk well, then add it back to the hot milk
Cook the custard over a low heat, stirring constantly with the whisk, until the mixture is very thick
Pour the custard on to the banana caramel mixture then sprinkle the toasted coconut on top
Refrigerate for 30-40 minutes until the tart is set
Slice & serve

Keyword bananas, coconut, custard tart, tart

Cakes & Bakes: Boozy chocolate muscovado banana cake

We’re massive banana fans chez H is for Home – and banana cake is a firm favourite.

This boozy, decadent version is my spin on Nigel Slater’s chocolate muscovado banana cake taken from his book, The Kitchen Diaries II

Boozy chocolate muscovado banana cake

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Servings 8 slices

Ingredients

175 g/6oz unsalted butter softened
100 g/3½oz golden caster sugar
75 g/2½oz muscovado sugar
2 free-range eggs
175 g/6oz self-raising flour
2 ripe bananas about 250g/9oz total weight ( black-skinned, over-ripe ones work well )
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 capful dark rum
200 g/7oz dark hazelnut chocolate bar
2 tbs demerara sugar

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/Gas mark 3
Grease a 22cm x 12cm/8in x 4in loaf tin
Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and golden & muscovado sugars until light and coffee-coloured
Lightly beat the eggs before adding to the butter & sugar mixture
Mix in the self-raising flour gradually in about 3 stages, mixing after each addition
Peel the bananas and chop them into small pieces
Chop the hazelnut chocolate bar into small pieces making sure the hazelnuts are at least quartered
Gently fold the vanilla extract, rum, bananas and chocolate into the cake mixture, taking care not to over-mix
Spoon the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin
Dust with the demerara sugar
Bake for 60-70 minutes, covering the top of the cake with foil if it starts to darken too quickly
Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack

H is for Home Harbinger

Tag: banana

Cakes & Bakes: Banana blueberry cranberry buttermilk cake

Banana, blueberry & cranberry buttermilk cake

Ingredients

Instructions

Cakes & Bakes: Banana upside down cake

Banana upside down cake

Ingredients

Instructions

Cakes & Bakes: Manchester Tart

Manchester Tart

Ingredients

For the base

For the filling

For the custard

For the topping

Instructions

Cakes & Bakes: Boozy chocolate muscovado banana cake

Boozy chocolate muscovado banana cake

Ingredients

Instructions