Mary Berry has shared a plethora of recipes throughout her career, including classics like Victoria Sponge and banana bread.
Baking a banana loaf may seem easy, but many things can go wrong including a burnt top and soggy middle and the loaf sinking.
I’ve tried many recipes in the last few years, trying to find the best one, and Mary’s is definitely it.
It takes less than 10 minutes to prepare the loaf for the oven, and it serves six to eight people.
It also has more than 200 five-star ratings from fellow bakers, showing how tasty this loaf is.
Ingredients
Two ripe bananas, peeled weight 100g
Two tablespoons of milk
100g soft butter or baking spread
150g plain flour
150g caster sugar
One teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
One teaspoon of baking powder
Two free-range eggs
100g dark chocolate chips, optional
Method
Start by preheating the oven to 160C or 140C Fan and grease and line a two-pound loaf tin with baking paper.
Use a fork to mash the banana in a mixing bowl before adding in the remaining cake ingredients, except the chocolate chips if using.
Beat with an electric whisk until combined and smooth. Next, stir in the chocolate chips carefully until mixed through.
Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and level the top before placing it in the oven.
It should take around 45 minutes to bake through, although mine can sometimes take up to one hour.
Once cooked and shrinking away from the sides, leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before placing it on a wire rack.
For optional decoration, melt some dark chocolate to drizzle on the top in a zig-zag motion.
If you fancy swapping the chocolate for nuts, you can also add 100g of chopped pecans or walnuts.
This banana cake is absolutely delicious and I sometimes make up to three per week because they are that tasty and easy to make.
The cake can last for many days when stored in an airtight container, if it lasts that long.
