Lush banana bread ...smothered in a coconut chocolate cream

Makes 3 loaves (20x10cm silicone loaf trays/tins*)

Ingredients

570g plain flour

2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp salt

220g butter (extra butter is needed to grease metal tins*)

250g caster sugar

4 free-range eggs

8 ripe bananas, mashed

170ml buttermilk (or normal milk mixed with a juice of one lemon)

2 tsp vanilla extract

*If your using metal tins, grease with butter before pouring in the cake mixture.

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

1.Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large mixing bowl.

2.In a separate bowl, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.

3.Add the eggs, mashed bananas, buttermilk and vanilla extract to the butter and sugar mixture and mix well. Fold in the flour mixture.

4.Place the 3 X 20cm x 10cm silicone loaf trays/tins on a flat baking tray and pour the cake mixture into each tin in equal amounts.

5.Transfer to the oven and bake for about an hour, or until well-risen and golden-brown.

6.Remove from the oven and cool in the trays/tins* till cool just enough to be able to handle peeling back the silicone tray, turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before serving, personally I like to make my banana loaves the next day before as it makes for a softer loaf, for this cling film /wrap the loaves for freshness.

If you fancy a little bit of lushness add chocolate coconut frosting

1 tbsp cocoa powder

200g cream cheese

150g icing sugar

Desiccated coconut for garnish

Sieve the icing sugar, fold in the cream cheese and cocoa, mix till smooth, cover the loaves and sprinkle with dried coconut