banana cake

Ingredients:

Ripe bananas: 500g (about 4-5  bananas)

Brown sugar: 350g

Eggs: 6 large

All-purpose flour (maida): 400g

Baking powder: 7.5g (about 1.5 teaspoons)

Baking soda: 5g (about 1 teaspoon)

Cinnamon powder: 6g (about 2 teaspoons)

Oil (vegetable or neutral oil): 500ml (or reduce to 400ml for a less oily texture)

Banana essence: 1 cap (or 1 teaspoon; adjust to taste)

Vanilla essence: 1 teaspoon (added for extra flavor)

Caramel syrup or color: 2 tablespoons (for a richer color and slight toffee note; you can make it by melting sugar or use store-bought)

Salt: 1/2 teaspoon (added to enhance flavors)

Optional: Chopped walnuts or pecans: 100g (added for texture and nuttiness)

Method:  -------

Preheat the oven: Set your oven to 180°C (350°F) with the rack in the middle. Grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan or 8-inch round cake tin with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

Prepare the wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas until smooth (a few chunks are okay for texture). Add the brown sugar and mix well until dissolved. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the oil, banana essence, vanilla essence, and caramel syrup. Whisk until the mixture is creamy and well combined. This step ensures the cake stays moist.

Mix the dry ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon powder, and salt. If adding walnuts, toss them in the dry mix to coat them (this prevents sinking).

Combine and fold: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in batches, folding gently with a spatula until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender—lumps are fine as they will bake out.

Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 45-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (start checking at 45 minutes). If the top browns too quickly, cover with foil after 30 minutes.

Cool and serve: Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. This cake tastes better the next day as flavors meld. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or refrigerate for a week.

Tips: For extra moisture, wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap overnight. This recipe yields a dense, moist cake—perfect with tea or as a snack.