Sticky Banana and Almond Cakes

. September, 2015
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Sticky Banana and Almond Cakes

These moist, fragrant cakes can be left plain or topped with a thin slice of banana or a few almonds and sprinkled with a little raw sugar before cooking.  

Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

200 grams ground almonds
3 tablespoons chia seeds
1 teaspoon baking powder
pinch sea salt
½ teaspoon each ground cinnamon and nutmeg
1 cups very ripe bananas (about 3 medium-sized), mashed
3 x eggs, size 7 (large)
4 tablespoons honey
4 tablespoons rice bran oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon lemon juice

To serve
warm apricot jam, optional 

8 hole, 150ml capacity mini loaf tray greased and lined with a strip of baking paper. Bring the paper up the narrow ends of the tins. Or use a 12 hole ½ cup capacity muffin tin and line 9 of the bases with baking paper.

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan bake. 

Combine the almonds, chia seeds, baking powder, salt and spices in a bowl. 

In a separate bowl, whisk the bananas, eggs, honey, oil and vanilla together.

Put the baking soda in another bowl and stir in the lemon juice (it will immediately froth up), then mix into the bananas. 

Add the almond mixture to the bananas and stir to combine well.

Divide evenly between the tins and add a topping if using.

Bake for 25 minutes or until risen and firm to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. 

Leave in the tins for 20 minutes then remove and place on a cooling rack. To give the cakes a glossy sheen, brush with warm apricot jam when cool. Makes 8

Cook’s Tip: You need to use over-ripe, fragrant bananas in this recipe. Firm bananas will give you a bland, tasteless cake.