Banana Cake
Quick and easy to prepare, this banana cake makes a healthy snack for hungry children or a handy addition to lunchboxes. And it’s a great way to use up bananas that have been sitting in the fruit bowl for too long.
2 cups self-raising flour (or 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄4 cup brown sugar
1⁄3 cup sunflower oil
1⁄3 cup low-fat milk
2 eggs
1 cup sultanas
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180ºC). Grease a deep 18 cm (7 in.) round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper. Peel the bananas, then mash with a fork.
- Sift the flour and baking powder into a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Mix together the oil, milk and eggs in a separate bowl and add to the flour mixture. Stir in the sultanas and mashed bananas, then pour the mixture into the pan.
- Bake for 50–55 minutes or until the banana cake is well risen and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then loosen the edge of the cake with a knife and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake can be kept in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
Banana cake variations: You can substitute other dried fruit for the sultanas, such as dried cranberries, chopped dried figs or apricots, or a mix of chopped exotic dried fruit such as mango and papaya.
preparation time 10 mins
cooking time 55 mins
serves 8
PER SERVING
337 calories
7 g protein
12 g total fat
2 g saturated fat
54 mg cholesterol
52 g total carbohydrate
26 g sugars
3 g fibre
346 mg sodium
This cake is much lower in sugar than a conventional banana cake. Using sunflower oil instead of butter makes it low in saturated fat, too.
Source: Cook Smart for a Healthy Heart, Reader's Digest Canada
