The Tropical Treat

Baking

Rum caramel pineapple upside-down cake with vanilla cream

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A classic pineapple upside down cake infused with rum caramel and served with a light vanilla clotted cream. Sweet, sticky and aromatic, this cake brings together lovely flavours – it’s very tropical this one. Use a golden spiced Caribbean rum (I used Red Leg rum) for an authentic island taste.

Pineapple, spiced rum, caramel and vanilla what else can you ask for? Not only is this cake super easy to make, it evokes those sunny, hot places we can’t travel to now lockdown is on.  If you want a pineapple fix, without the cake, this roasted pineapple recipe with similar ingredients is equally as delicious and vegan too.

This cake is really good. I got a bit excited and pulled the cake tin away too quickly and parts of the cake stuck to the sides and crumbled away, don’t do this haha : ) Serve warm with vanilla cream on the side and an extra drizzle of rum caramel. Enjoy!

Serves 6
Prep 20 mins
Cook 60 mins
Total 80 mins

Ingredients

For the rum caramel

2-3 tbsp water
300ml double cream 
175g caster sugar
15g unsalted butter
1/2 tsp of sea salt 
60ml spiced rum

For the vanilla cream

227g tub of clotted cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp orange juice
1 tbsp icing sugar

For the pineapple upside-down cake

500g pineapple, cut into 2cm thick strips
150g unsalted butter, softened and a little extra for greasing
150g golden caster sugar 
2 eggs
150g self-raising flour, sifted
Pinch of salt

Method

Make the rum caramel first. Bring the double cream to the boil in a small saucepan. Put the caster sugar in a large frying pan over a medium heat with water. Swirl the pan round to ensure the water covers all the dry bits of sugar (do not stir). The sugar should start to deepen in colour fairly quickly (keep a very close eye so it doesn’t burn, you may need to turn down the heat).

Once it’s a light amber colour take it off the heat and stir in the double cream, followed by the butter, salt and rum. Once the caramel is smooth and glossy leave it aside to cool.

In a small bowl, miix together the clotted cream, vanilla, orange juice and icing sugar until smooth. Place in the fridge until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas mark 4 / 350F. Butter and line with greaseproof paper, the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin. Arrange the strips of pineapple on the bottom of the tin and pour over half the caramel (keep the rest to serve). 

Cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy. Add one egg at a time using a a spatula to scrape down the sides after each one. Fold the flour in until it’s all incorporated into the mixture.

Carefully spoon the cake mixture over the pineapple and caramel, smoothing with a spatula towards the edge of the tin as you go along.

Bake for 55-60 minutes until golden and firm (cover with foil if it starts to brown too quickly). Check it’s ready by inserting a skewer and if it comes out clean it’s ready.

Leave inside the tin for 15 minutes to cool. Place a serving plate, larger than the cake tin over the top and carefully flip over. Peel away all the greaseproof paper and serve warm with any leftover caramel and vanilla cream.

 

Toasted coconut custard tart

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A toasted coconut custard tart – sweet, creamy custard topped with shredded rich caramelised coconut. Serve with a tropical fruit salad and some vanilla ice cream for the most satisfying tropical pud!

I found this recipe for a coconut tart a while ago and really wanted to try it. The tart comes from a restaurant called Maya’s on the Caribbean island of St Bart’s. It’s really good and really does just taste like a giant coconut macaroon. I tweaked the original recipe a little by adding double cream and coconut milk to make it richer.

It’s super tropical and especially with that lovely bright fruit salad ( I’ll put the recipe for that up next time). Make sure to serve it with a nice helping of vanilla ice cream too…

Toasted coconut custard tart

A toasted coconut custard tart – sweet, creamy custard topped with shredded rich caramelised coconut. Serve with a tropical fruit salad and some vanilla ice cream for the most satisfying tropical pud!

For the pastry

  • 240g plain flour, sifted
  • 1tsp salt
  • 170g cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4 inch cubes 
  • 60ml ice cold water

For the filling

  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 25g plain flour
  • 1 vanilla pod, halved lengthways and seeds scraped out 
  • 150ml double cream
  • 150ml coconut milk
  • 170g  finely shredded fresh coconut 
  • 225g light brown sugar
  • Kiwi, banana and passion fruit salad, to serve
  • Vanilla ice cream, to serve

  1. First make the pastry, sift flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter and rub together with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs (alternatively put in a food processor). Mix together with ice cold water until the mixture comes together in a ball (add more water if it is a little dry).

  2. Pat down to make a rounded disc shape. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and put in the fridge for one hour to chill. 

  3. For the filling, whisk the eggs in a small pan with the flour and vanilla until smooth. Add double cream. Over a medium heat, slowly add in the coconut milk whisking constantly until creamy and thick.

  4. Spoon the custard into a bowl and cover with clingfilm ensuring it touches the surface of the custard and leave aside to cool.

  5. Bring the dough out and roll on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a 1 pound coin. 

  6. Put the pastry over your tart tin (23cm tart tin with a loose base) and gently push down making sure to get the pastry into the corners of the tin. Cut any excess pastry off the top of the tart tin with a sharp knife. 

  7. Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4 /350F. Using a fork prick the base of the pastry. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Blind bake for 20 minutes, remove the beans and paper and then put in for 15 minutes longer or until the pastry is golden brown. Set aside to cool completely.

  8. Spoon the custard into the pastry case and smooth over into an even layer.

  9. In a large pan over a high heat, toss the shredded coconut with sugar, constantly stirring until the coconut is translucent. Spread the coconut over the custard evenly and put in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown.

  10. Once slightly cooled gently push out of the tart tin, slice and serve with a warm fruit salad and vanilla ice cream.

Ginger chocolate salted caramel tart

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A ginger infused dark chocolate salted caramel tart – rich, indulgent and a little spicy. This is definitely one to make for a dinner party or supper club for a deliciously good finish. The ginger gives it a nice fiery kick!

Not a traditionally tropical dessert but with ginger and chocolate in the mix it evokes sunny, hot climates where these ingredients grow in abundance. 

I adapted a lovely salted caramel tart recipe by Brit British Diana Henry and infused the chocolate with a ginger cream.

This tart is really good. Serve with some creme fraiche on the side and a dusting of salted peanuts. Enjoy!

Serves 8
Prep 15 mins
Cook 30 mins + 1 hour chilling time
Total 125 mins

Ingredients

For the chocolate pastry
300g plain flour, sifted
3 tbsp cocoa powder
150g butter, cold and cubed
3 tbsp caster sugar 
1 egg yolk 
4 tbsp ice cold water 

For the salted caramel 
250g white caster sugar
2 – 3 tbsp water 
100ml double cream 
125g butter, melted 
1/2 tsp sea salt flakes 

For the chocolate filling 
125g dark chocolate (at least 70%)
85g butter
1 egg and 1 yolk 
3 tbsp caster sugar
100ml double cream
5 balls of stem ginger, pureed or finely chopped

Method

First make the pastry, sift flour and cocoa powder in a large bowl and mix in the sugar. Add butter and rub together with your fingers until it resembles breadcrumbs (alternatively put in a food processor). Add the egg yolk and cold water. Mix together until the mixture comes together in a ball (add more water if it is dry).

Pat down to make a rounded disc shape. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and put in the fridge for 1 hour to chill. 

Preheat the oven to 200C / gas mark 6 /400F. Bring the dough out and roll on a lightly floured surface to the thickness of a 1 pound coin. 

Put the pastry over your tart tin (23cm tart tin with a loose base) and gently push down making sure to get the pastry into the corners of the tin. Cut any excess pastry off the top of the tart tin with a sharp knife. 

Using a fork prick the base of the pastry. Line with greaseproof paper and fill with baking beans or uncooked rice. Blind bake for 12 minutes, remove the beans and paper and then set aside to cool. Turn the oven down to 180C / gas mark 4 / 350F.

For the caramel, put the caster sugar in a large frying pan over a medium heat with water. Swirl the pan round to ensure the water covers all the dry bits of sugar (do not stir the sugar). 

The sugar should start to deepen in colour fairly quickly (keep a very close eye so it doesn’t burn).

Once it’s a light amber colour take it off the heat and stir in the butter until it’s melted, followed by the double cream and salt. Once the caramel is smooth and glossy leave it aside to cool then pour the caramel into the pastry case. 

For the filling, break up the chocolate into pieces and melt with the butter in a bowl above  simmering water. Leave to one side once completely melted.

Whisk the sugar and eggs until pale and fluffy and then stir into the melted chocolate.

In a small pan over a medium heat, bring the double cream and stem ginger to a boil. Pour the ginger cream over the melted chocolate and mix together well. 

Pour over the caramel and put in the oven for a further 12 minutes to bake. Once cooled push out of the tart tin, slice, sprinkle over crushed salted peanuts and serve with creme fraiche.

Banana Fritters with Rum Caramel

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Bananas, spiced rum and caramel are a delightful trio of tropical flavours. Pillowy soft banana fritters dipped in a deep rum caramel sauce – sweet, comforting and dangerously good. This is a great way to use ripe bananas or plantains and ideal for an after dinner treat or a sweet addition to a brunch spread. Make sure to dust them with a little icing sugar whilst they’re warm!

Banana fritters, buñuelos or mosa? Whatever the name, these delicious treats seem to appear in some way all over West Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

It’s really no surprise since they are a very simple and easy to make using ingredients that naturally grow in abundance in these regions. And i’ve taken some inspiration from the Caribbean here as I think rum works really with bananas and caramel. 

The internet is full of banana fritter recipes but this one is completely vegan and so a lovely treat for all. 

It’s perfect to make quickly after dinner or as part of a brunch where there’s already lots of savoury dishes on the table.

As much as I don’t like to fry, I really don’t think there’s any other way to achieve fritter perfection. Let me know if you do make them and enjoy!

Serves 4 -6
Prep 15 mins
Cook 20 mins
Total 35 mins

Ingredients

For the fritters

4 large ripe bananas (390g), mashed 
30g golden caster sugar
125g plain flour, sifted
1 tsp baking powder 
1 vanilla pod, split open and seeds scraped out
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch ground nutmeg
Sunflower oil, for frying
1 tbsp icing sugar, to serve 

For the rum caramel sauce 

200g white caster sugar
60ml water
100g salted butter
200ml double cream
Pinch of sea salt 
60ml spiced rum

Method

Make the rum caramel first. Put the caster sugar in a large frying pan over a medium heat with water. Swirl the pan round to ensure the water covers all the dry bits of sugar. The sugar should start to deepen in colour fairly quickly (keep a very close eye so it doesn’t burn).

Once it’s a light amber colour take it off the heat and stir in the butter until it’s melted, followed by the double cream, salt and rum. Once the caramel is smooth and glossy leave it aside to cool.

In a medium size bowl mash the bananas with a fork and whisk in the sugar until smooth. Stir in flour, baking powder, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg. 

Heat sunflower oil in a heavy deep frying pan (half fill) until a cube of bread sizzles and turns brown ensuring the oil doesn’t get too hot.

Using an ice cream scoop carefully drop the batter (roughly 2tbsps) into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Cook for a couple of minutes until even in colour, gently remove with a slotted spoon and transfer onto kitchen paper. 

Repeat until the batter is finished and sprinkle over icing sugar whilst the fritters are still crisp and warm. Serve up!

South American biscuits (Alfajores)

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Dulce de leche, buttery crumbly biscuits and a dusting of desiccated coconut make South American biscuits known as Alfajores. From Uruguay to Argentina, every region has a special way of baking them but they are simple to make and even easier to eat! Just think of them as shortbread’s tropical cousin.  

I really love to bake but biscuits are definitely new territory for me! If they’re any tropical or more exotic type of biscuits that are worth baking do let me know in the comments.

The caramel flavour and nutty coconut in Alfjaores work really well together. If you like things on the sweeter side these biscuits are perfect for you. Make sure to use dulce de leche (a sweet caramel like sauce made from condensed milk from South America) for an authentic biscuit. You can buy it online from here otherwise go for Carnation’s caramel which is essentially the same thing.

They do look very pretty too so you could make them as a gift for someone else or have them as an after dinner treat. Enjoy!

Makes 18 biscuits
Prep 60 mins
Cook 10 mins
Total 70 mins

Ingredients

200g unsalted butter, softened
100g golden caster sugar
1 egg and 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cognac 
1/4 tsp salt
225g plain flour, sifted and extra for rolling cookies
100g cornflour, sifted
400g dulce de leche or Carnation caramel 
30g desiccated coconut 

Method

In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar using an electric whisk until fluffy and pale. Add the egg, vanilla extract, cognac and salt.

Mix in the flours with the wet ingredients until you have a smooth dough. Divide the dough into two parts, wrap in clingfilm and chill in the fridge for 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C / gas mark 5 / 170C fan oven and line two baking trays with greaseproof paper.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to 1/2cm in thickness, cut out 36 biscuits with a round 6cm cutter.

Bake for 10 minutes (they should be pale in colour and a slightly grainy texture). Leave the biscuits to cool for 5 minutes and then sandwich the biscuits with a little dulce de leche. 

Roll the sides in desiccated coconut and they are ready to eat!

Nutty Coconut Granola

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A wholesome, crunchy and deliciously nutty coconut granola. For a healthy and quick breakfast this granola is the one. It tastes so good especially with peaches, bananas and raspberries and its also packed full of almonds, coconut and pumpkin seeds (hello good skin).

Batch make this over a free weekend, store in a kilner jar and eat whenever you like. 

I love a good granola and was inspired to make some with coconut which I think goes really well with all types of fruits. Pick whatever fruits work for you. Sometimes shop bought granola just doesn’t hit the spot so here we have it…

Serves 2
Prep 10 mins
Cook 40 mins
Total 50 mins

Ingredients

150g jumbo rolled oats
30g pumkin seeds
30g flaked almonds 
30g toasted coconut flakes
1tbsp coconut oil
50ml maple syrup
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp apple juice 

Method

  1. First preheat the oven to 150C/ gas mark 2 / 300F. Mix together oats, pumpkin seeds, almonds  and coconut flakes. 
  2. In a small pan gently heat coconut oil, maple syrup, honey and apple juice together, bring to the boil. Pour the mixture over the dry oats and seeds. Mix well.
  3. Line two large baking trays with greaseproof paper and spread the mixture across them in an even layer. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown making sure to stir and shake up the granola every 10 minutes.
  4. Layer the granola in glasses with coconut yogurt, raspberries, sliced bananas and peaches. It’s ready to serve up!

Roasted whole pineapple with vanilla and spiced rum

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Caramelised roasted pineapple with fragrant vanilla and spiced rum is the ultimate tropical treat. A beautiful desert to simply end a very hot day or something to remind you of the sunny days when its freezing cold outside.

There are lots of variations of roasted pineapple around with different flavour combinations and if ice cream isn’t your thing swap it out for creme fraiche, coconut yogurt or have it on its own.

I really love this dish. It’s simple but the flavours are so on point.

This is also a great recipe for gatherings. It doesn’t involve much prep and it’s easy enough to put on the barbecue – make sure you baste and turn it over often so it cooks evenly.

Pineapple is often just sliced and eaten as it is which is great but there’s so much more you can do with it. Roasting them is one way and it definitely enhances the natural flavour!

Make sure you get ripe pineapples – sniff the bottom of them and they should smell fragrant, look out for withered leaves or if unripe wait around a week before using them. 

I used the very tropical Red Leg Spiced Rum which is infused with Jamaican ginger and vanilla, it works a treat here. Serve up with vanilla ice cream and sprinkle over torn mint leaves!

Serves 4
Prep 15 mins
Cook 50 mins
Total 55 mins

Ingredients

1 large ripe pineapple 
125ml maple syrup
1 vanilla pod, cut lengthways and seeds scraped out 
150ml spiced rum
30g unsalted butter
A pinch of sea salt 
Vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
2 tbsp mint leaves, torn (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 190C/gas mark 5/375F. Using a sharp knife cut the top and bottom of the pineapple. With the pineapple sitting on a chopping board carefully remove its rough skin (try not to take too much of the fruit off). 

Using a small sharp knife remove the holes or ‘eyes’ by cutting diagonally around the pineapple, removing the flesh and creating a spiral pattern (see here).

Put maple syrup, vanilla pod and seeds, rum and butter in a small pan. Stir over a low heat and add a pinch of sea salt once the butter has melted. Simmer for a couple of minutes until it starts to bubble.

Put the pineapple on a small baking tray on its side and pour over the syrup making sure it’s completely covered. Roast for 50 minutes, basting and turning the pineapple every 10 minutes to ensure its evenly cooked.

Once the pineapple is caramelised and tender remove from the oven and leave to cool. Throw away the vanilla pod and reserve any leftover syrup to serve.

Cut the pineapple lengthways into slices, drizzle over the syrup and serve with vanilla ice cream and torn mint leaves.

Notes

*Watch the video to see how to properly cut the eyes from the pineapple. To make this vegan just omit the butter and serve with vegan ice cream.

Mango and passion fruit cake

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Mango and passion fruit, can you name a more iconic duo? A light cake with fresh mango pieces and a creamy mascarpone passion fruit topping – sharp, sweet and fruity. It’s so easy to bake with mango and it really makes the perfect tropical pudding paired up with passion fruit.

Summer days call for bright colours and big tropical flavours like passion fruit and mango. The sun is shining here in London which has inspired me to make this fruity number as well as food perfect for garden parties, barbecues or just to chill after a long hot day. I’m biased but I think ‘summer’ food should be eaten all year round!

This cake would be ideal right after a delicious barbecue especially as it’s so simple to make ( bake the cake first and make the topping later). I found the original recipe here and decided to tweak it a little to make it even more tropical. If you don’t like passion fruit just take it out, puree some mango and drizzle that over the top instead. 

Mascarpone is very Italian (not so tropical) but works amazingly well with mango and passion fruit – it really brings out the tropical goodness. Enjoy! 

Serves 12
Prep 20 mins
Cook 40 mins
Total 60 mins

Ingredients

150g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
150g caster sugar
3 eggs
150g self-raising flour, sifted
150g mango, cubed into 1 cm pieces

For the topping 

250g mascarpone cheese
4 tbsp fresh orange juice
1 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 passion fruit, seeds scooped out

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C / gas mark 4 / fan oven 160C and line a 20cm x 20cm x 5cm square cake tin with greaseproof paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until pale and fluffy, slowly add one egg at a time using a spatula to scrape down the sides after each one. 

Sift the flour and fold until well combined. Using a paper towel pat the mango pieces to mop any excess juice and add into the mixture. 

Spoon into the cake tin and bake for 40 mins, until golden and firm (check by inserting a skewer and if it comes out clean its ready). Cover the cake with a little bit of foil if it starts to brown too quickly.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes and then transfer to a wire rack until completely cooled. 

Mix the mascarpone, orange juice, icing sugar and vanilla. Spread the mixture over the cooled cake using a palette knife and top with the passion fruit seeds. Serve up!

Coconut brownies

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Chocolatey, dense and deliciously rich coconut brownies. I found this brownie recipe through the British Bake Off star Edd Kimber’s instagram and boy are they good.

The original recipe calls for wholemeal rye flour which Edd says adds a distinctive flavour but I accidentally picked up white rye flour (typical!). I imagine both would work beautifully with this recipe so take your pick. 

Adding coconut is my tropical twist to this as I think it pairs amazing well with chocolate. Of course chocolate is another tropical treat, derived from cacao (which the Aztecs dubbed the food of the gods) and is native to South America.  

This is definitely something to bake on the weekend since it involves a couple of hours cooling in the fridge which is a necessary step to set the brownies. 

You will enjoy every bite of this, these brownies are crisp, gooey and rich in all the right places. It packs in a lot of chocolate (make sure you get at least 70% cocoa solids) so if that’s your thing get baking.

Coconut is something I have definitely grown to love. I would always avoid bounty chocolate bars (UK people you know what I’m on about) or anything with coconut as a youngster and now I’m throwing coconut over everything. 

When you bring the brownies out of the oven, sprinkle over your toasted coconut chips and cut a square before putting it in the fridge to set properly. This is when they will be very gooey and the combination with the coconut chips is most heavenly!

Chocolatey, dense and deliciously rich coconut brownies. I think the best brownies are always crisp on the outside, followed by a crumbly cake like layer and then descend into a soft and gooey middle. Making brownies with coconut just adds a delightful nutty flavour and makes them that little bit more tropical. Coconut and chocolate are definitely a match made in heaven! Once out of the oven liberally sprinkle toasted coconut chips and indulge in these brownies for a decadent yet exotic afternoon treat. 


Prep 20 mins
Cook 25 mins
Total 45 mins

Ingredients


175g white rye flour
100g desiccated coconut 
50g cocoa powder 
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
200g unsalted butter, diced
300g dark chocolate (65-75% cocoa solids)
150g caster sugar
220g light brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Toasted coconut chips, to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/ gas mark 4 / 160C (fan) and line a 9 x13 inch brownie pan with greaseproof paper.

First start with the dry ingredients. In a large bowl sift flour, desiccated coconut, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Melt the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a simmering pan of water ensuring to stir occasionally. Put to one side once silky and smooth.

Now the wet ingredients, in a large bowl put eggs, sugar and vanilla and mix together using an electric whisk for at least 5 minutes until pale and fluffy. Slowly add the melted chocolate and mix until well combined.

Mix the dry ingredients to the chocolate mixture using a spatula and wooden spoon and ensuring not to over-mix (once the last bit of flour has gone stop).

Carefully place the batter into the prepared pan and smooth over into an even layer.

Bake for 25 minutes, once out of the oven leave to cool for 1 hour at room temperature and sprinkle the toasted coconut chips. Transfer to the fridge for a further couple of hours.

Once the brownies have set, cut into roughly 16 squares and serve up.

Chocolate almond banana loaf

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Gooey chocolatey nutty banana cake is definitely a firm favourite and one to have at anytime of the year. Making a banana loaf is so satisfying and makes me feel super domesticated. 

It’s not something you would think of as a tropical but chocolate and bananas (originate from Asia and South America) are definitely tropical ingredients that have become our everyday staples. 

This is the perfect cake for weekend baking, you’ll probably have most of the ingredients at home already and it’s really easy too. When warm outside it’s perfect fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a couple of spoonfuls of coconut yogurt. 

Banana loaf or bread seems to pop up everywhere! I can’t think of coffee shop or cafe that doesn’t serve it up in some way and it’s a great way to use up really ripe bananas. This version is quite indulgent but we all deserve treats in life!

Make sure you get good quality baking chocolate that holds up nicely in the cake and the more ripe the bananas the better the cake tastes in my opinion! 

Chocolate Almond Banana Loaf

Gooey chocolatey nutty banana cake is a firm favourite and one to have at anytime of the year. Making a banana loaf is so satisfying and makes me feel super domesticated. It has got to be the best thing to do with overripe bananas or just bananas in general. When warm outside it’s perfect fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a couple of spoonfuls of coconut yogurt. I’ve adapted Nigel Slater’s classic recipe here as it’s deliciously good and foolproof!

  • 175g unsalted butter, softened
  • 175g  sugar (half light brown, half golden caster)
  • 2 free-range eggs
  • 175g self-raising flour, sifted
  • A drop of vanilla extract
  • 2 very ripe bananas (about 250g in weight), peeled and chopped into small pieces
  • 2 tbsp flaked almonds
  • 100g baking milk chocolate chips
  • A little demerara sugar

  1. First line the base and sides of a 2lb loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Preheat the oven to 170C / 325F / Gas 3.

  2. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until a light coffee colour and smooth consistency.

  3. Add the eggs slowly to the butter and sugar mixture and then mix in the self-raising flour.

  4. Carefully fold the vanilla extract, the chopped bananas, flaked almonds and chocolate chips into the mixture (making sure not to over mix).

  5. Place the cake mixture into the lined loaf tin and sprinkle over a little demerara sugar. Bake in the oven for between 60 – 65 minutes. Cover with a little foil if it browns too quickly and insert a skewer into the middle of the loaf and if it comes out clean it’s ready.

* This recipe is adapted from Nigel Slater’s Black Banana Cake