The Raspberry and Cinnamon Banana Cake

Whatever it is that you’re doing – stop now, and make this fabulous cake! You will be so glad that you did!

Like all my best recipes, this one came about by accident..

One element of the accident was me having what appeared to be the largest number of over-ripe Bananas in private ownership; the other was me buying a couple of punnets of raspberries at a supermarket – which shall remain nameless – and discovering that despite their good looks, they were beyond bitter, and completely inedible. I suppose that I could have lashed a load of sugar and cream onto them, and they might have been ok.. But I’d have prevented myself from bringing you the ‘go-to’ cake of the Summer – and yes, it’s that good!

This is an upscaled version of the really easy Banana Cake that I published earlier in the Summer

https://eatingforireland.com/recipe/the-quick-and-easy-banana-bread/

It was huge hit with many of you –

I think it was due to a combination of:

a) Making a cake with just one bowl and a Balloon whisk, and

b) Changing from a loaf tin to a circular sponge tin – which was a big hit, if I do say so myself 😉

If you’ve made the original cake before, this will be easy-peasy for you. If this is your first Banana Cake – congratulations – you’ve picked a winner!

Let’s get to it –

EQUIPMENT:

• A large mixing bowl
• A Balloon whisk
• A loose-bottomed 8”/23cm Sponge tin, buttered, and the base lined with baking parchment
• A small microwaveable pot, or small saucepan
• A small/medium-sized bowl
• A sieve

INGREDIENTS:                                                 

• 3 ripe or over-ripe Bananas
• 1 egg
• 120g melted butter – cooled
• 50g sugar
• teaspoon of Vanilla extract
• 180g Plain flour
• A  teaspoon of ground Cinnamon
• A teaspoon of Bicarbonate of Soda
• A teaspoon of Baking Powder
• Half a teaspoon of salt
• 200g fresh raspberries

Icing:

• 250g tub of Mascarpone Cheese
• 3 heaped tablespoons of sieved Icing Sugar – about 70-80g if you’re determined to weigh it. Don’t forget that if you want a slightly harder icing, you can just add another 20g or so..
• 1 level teaspoon of Ground Cinnamon

METHOD:

• Melt the butter and leave it to cool slightly.
• Heat the oven to 160Fan.
• Using a fork, roughly mash the bananas in the bowl.
•  Add the sugar, vanilla extract and egg, and stir in well
• Add the melted butter, and stir in again until well combined.
• Weigh out the flour, add the Bicarbonate of Soda, Baking Powder, Cinnamon and salt – and sift together to combine.
• Pour all the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, and whisk together for a minute until it’s all combined.
• Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin, then dot the raspberries evenly over the top of the cake batter.

 

• Bake for 40-45 minutes – the raspberries will be nestled amongst the risen cake. They’ll look a little dried out, but don’t worry about that..
• Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

The icing:

• Put the fully cooled cake onto a suitable plate.
• Sieve the Icing sugar and ground Cinnamon into a medium-sized bowl
• Add the Mascarpone, and using a wooden spoon, turn gently for a few minutes until all the icing sugar has been absorbed, and no lumps remain. This will take a couple of minutes, but just take your time and it will be fine.

• Generously swirl the icing onto the top of the cake.  It’s not going to set hard, so it’s ready to eat almost immediately.

NOTES:

• The raspberries are hidden under the icing, and make a delicious tart contrast to the sweetish banana cake and icing. It’s a lovely surprise!
• Sometimes I put the raspberries in the middle of the cake, just for variation – it really doesn’t matter..
• If you have a choice of raspberries – pick the biggest ones you can find – they dry out a little as they bake.
• Interestingly, the ground Cinnamon – don’t use any more than 1 level teaspoon – gives the icing a slightly pink colour
• This cake is definitely dinner-party/afternoon tea ready. It is an exceptional mix of flavours.
• At home, we kept this cake covered but not chilled in a cool spot for several days. If your kitchen is warm, you’d probably be best chilling it. It’s not going to last any length of time anyway, once the family discover how delicious it is..
• I didn’t give you an option about using the ground Cinnamon this time, as Cinnamon and Raspberry are a well-known winning combination, but as always, do what suits your own audience best