The Queen's Favourite Banana Bread
With the Queen's Platinum Jubilee just around the corner, it seems the perfect time to post this recipe for the Queen's Favourite Banana Bread. Known for being frugal, it is entirely in keeping that her favourite cake is one which is the perfect recipe to use up 'past-their-best' bananas.
Ingredients
- 25g walnuts
- 220g plain/all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 110g unsalted butter, cold and cut into small cubes
- 165g caster sugar
- 110g sultanas
- 50g glacé cherries
- 2 medium eggs
- 220g (skin off)/ 2 - 3 browning bananas, peeled and mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
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Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
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Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4
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First, cook walnuts in a pre-heated oven for 6 minutes. Take out of the oven and roughly chop.
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Weigh the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine well.
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Chop the cold butter into small cubes and add to the flour.
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Use your fingertips to rub the butter into the flour, until it resembles breadcrumbs.
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Add the sugar, sultanas, cherries and walnuts to the flour and stir to mix.
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Mash the bananas thoroughly with the eggs and vanilla extract.
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Add the wet ingredients to the flour, fruit and nut mix. Stir to mix, but be careful not to over-mix.
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Transfer into a lined 900g/2lb loaf tin and level the surface. Dot over some walnut halves.
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Cook in the centre of a pre-heated oven for 1 hour and 10 mins.
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Cool on a wire rack and serve sliced, spread with a little butter and a cup of tea!
Recipe Notes
Equipment:
- kitchen scales and measuring spoons
- 2 mixing bowls
- baking tray
- chopping board and knife
- 900g/2lb loaf tin lined with baking parchment