Banana Bread

You know what I like more than the smell of a cake baking in my oven?

Very few things, to be honest.

Unless said cake is not only delicious, but also the ultimate way to turn a bunch of over-ripe bananas into the sweetest treat.

Which is why banana bread is the most genius cake recipe there is.

Yesterday, after having spent the vast majority of the afternoon laying on the sofa in a desperate attempt to try and digest the feast of a lunch we had at St John’s, I spotted said bunch of sad-looking, brown, not very appeeling bananas in the fruit basket, begging to be made into banana bread.

How could I say no?

Banana loaf is seriously one of the easiest things to bake.

It’s very adaptable -as long as you have bananas, you’re good, quite healthy as far as cake go, packs in a lot of fruit and good-for-you things, yet it make for such an indulgent breakfast/snack/pudding.

I’m not sure why it is, but it seems like bananas are somewhat magic when it comes to baking and allow for quite a lot of substitutions/omissions, which is great if you have food allergies or preferences.

Or very bare cupboards.

No eggs? No problem (maybe add a bit more mashed banana if your batter’s too dense).

No dairy – it works perfectly fine with margarine too.

Want to reduce the sugar? Go ahead.

Switch the baking flour for a gluten-free one? Since banana bread is quite dense, it doesn’t really matter.

Want to make it extra indulgent? Nothing’s easier! Simply add chocolate chips or crushed nuts to the batter, swirl some Nutella through, serve with a nutty or caramely ice cream… There are so many options!