Name: Banana and walnut loaf cake
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: Serves 8
Ingredients: 100g walnuts; 125g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for the tin; 125g soft light brown sugar; 2 eggs, beaten; 200g plain flour; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; 2 tsp baking powder; 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed

100g walnuts
125g unsalted butter
softened, plus extra for the tin
125g soft light brown sugar
2 eggs
beaten
200g plain flour
½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
3 medium ripe bananas
mashed

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Tip the walnuts onto a baking tray and roast for 8-10 minutes or until darkened and smelling toasty. Cool slightly, then roughly chop.
step 2
Butter a 900g loaf tin, then line with a long strip of baking paper overhanging both ends to help you lift out the loaf later.
step 3
Beat the butter and sugar in a bowl with an electric whisk for 2-3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Crack in one of the eggs, add a spoonful of the flour and mix. Crack in the second egg and tip in the remaining flour, the cinnamon, baking powder, bananas, three-quarters of the chopped walnuts and a pinch of salt, and mix until fully combined.
step 4
Spoon the batter into the prepared loaf tin and smooth the top with a spatula, then sprinkle over the remaining walnuts.
step 5
Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving.