Cakes!

Been having a bit of a bake recently due to a glut of bananas that I really did need to use up. I used a very simple recipe which is half Spanish-based thus using oil rather than butter. No photo but believe me, this was a lovely yellow colour, with a crunchy outer crust and a light and soft middle.

I tried the same recipe again today only used apples instead of bananas - I cooked the apples first in just a tablespoon full of honey. It is delicious - I wouldn't say better than the banana cake but full of flavour and just a wonderful texture. It's not overly sweet - the flavour of the fruit does come through better that way and also keeps the calories down a bit! The banana cake would be perfect with a little butter or jam or even peanut butter spread on it. The apple cake when warm almost begs for a blob of vanilla ice-cream or just cream.... it begged me but I resisted.

If you fancy trying it - here is my recipe:
Preparation time - about 10 minutes max!
Cooking time - about 1 hour if using one tin; 35 minutes if using two smaller tins.

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Prepare a loaf tin or 8"round cake tin. I used two loaf tins for the banana cake this time but it would have all fitted into one - you'll just need to increase the cooking time.

2 ripe bananas or two cooking apples 

( if using the apples, cook them a little first til they're soft)

250g self-raising flour

1tspn baking powder

6 tbspns brown sugar (or substitute all or part with honey)

6 tbspns sunflower oil

6 tbspns semi-skimmed milk

2 eggs

(Add a handful of raisins/sultanas/walnuts as well if you want.)

1. Mash the bananas or cooked apples and add the raisins/walnuts if you're using them. Add any honey you might chose to use at this stage too.
2. Sift the flour and baking powder together. Add the sugar and mix.
3. Mix together the eggs, oil and milk.
4. Add to the flour mixture and combine well.
5. Add the banana or apple mixture and combine well.
6. Pour mixture into cake tin and place in the oven for about 55 minutes.
7. Check cake is cooked by inserting a skewer or knife - should come out fairly clean when cooked. 
8. Cool in the tin for about 10 minutes then turn out.
9. The cake keeps well in an airtight tin, though I have no evidence of exactly how long....

When the sun comes out again, I will be posting FR's 'Pinchos Moruños' recipe, which is marinaded meat, skewered onto kebabs and cooked over a barbecue. It's too wet and cold today to eat them. Such a shame we can't have the smell available online!

All the baking has helped to take my mind off the process of selling our house. We had a couple return today for a second viewing and they brought a parent with them - always a good sign - but I had decided to take Ruy and Romy to the Odeon Kid's Club this morning. It was Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang which I quite enjoyed. There were a few good jokes in there, a sort of moral message about how children should behave and a soppy, happy ending. What I liked was that when the film finished, a few people in the audience actually applauded. I was a more concerned about hiding the embarrassing fact that I had cried a bit at the ending - which was totally predictable and says more about my rather fragile state of mind than any strength of the film. I think mums are supposed to cry at the end, maybe, just a bit...anyway, by the time we got home, the dreaded visit was over and now we just have to wait to see whether an offer is forthcoming or not. Cross everything!!