• Banana bread cake
• 225 g self-raising flour
• ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
• pinch of salt
• 75 g unsalted butter, softened
• 175 g soft light brown sugar
• 2 free-range eggs, beaten
• 450 g bananas, black or very ripe, peeled and mashed (weight after peeling)
• 100 g of walnuts or pecans, roughly chopped

Buttercream icing

• 100 g softened butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 200 g icing sugar, sieved

Decoration

• 12 walnut or pecan halves

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Grease and line 2 x 18cm (7”) round cake tins with butter and baking paper.
2. Mix together the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, then add the beaten eggs and flour mixture alternately, mixing well between each addition.
4. Stir in the mashed bananas and chopped walnuts (or pecans) and mix well.
5. Spoon the mixture into the prepared cake tins and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, or until well risen and dark golden brown.
6. Take the cakes out of the oven and invert them on to wire cooling racks, allow them to cool completely before icing with the buttercream.
7. Make the buttercream: Place all the ingredients for the buttercream into a large bowl and beat together until light and fluffy. (I use a hand-held whisk for ease and speed.)
8. Sandwich the two cakes together with half of the buttercream; spread the remaining buttercream over the top of the cake and then decorate with the walnut (or pecan) halves.