Simply the Best Banana Cake

I am not a very good baker, I think it is because I tend to sort of throw a bit of this and that into my cooking instead of strictly following a recipe. So when a friend asked me to bake two cakes (yes TWO!) for a joint thirtieth- I freaked out a little. The Farmer's Aunty Lesley was immediately called in for a crisis meeting because she is an AMAZING baker. Lesley also has a pretty impressive cook's office and from that she shared this fantastic banana cake recipe that even I have managed to have good success with. Pity I drank a bit much wine to remember to get a picture of the two cakes- one had a tractor ploughing a paddock iced on top and the other was a helicopter on a landing pad (a farmer and a chopper pilot turning thirty- the Woman's Weekly cake decorating book would have been so proud!).

Making a high cake keeps it really moist and delicious

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 1/2 c self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 c castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 1/2 c mashed bananas (about 4 big bananas) 
• 1 c oil

METHOD:

Sift the flour and soda into a bowl. Make a well and stir in the sugar, eggs, banana and oil.
Mix gently to a smooth batter. Pour into a greased and baking paper lined 20cm round tin.
Bake at 160 degree Celsius for approximately 1 1/2 hours.
Ice with chocolate or cream cheese icing.

TIPS:

• I use a 20cm cake tin to produce an impressively high cake. If you prefer to use a larger tin, adjust your cooking times- it will take less time to cook.

I baked this cake and iced it with chocolate icing ready for decorating

Using rolled out fondant icing, I cut out this flower and put it on the cake