Banana and ginger loaf

I can't stop reading recipes! At the same time I look for recipes where I can use ingredients I have in store. For the last days we have been eating bananas like monkeys and still 5-6 were left last night, perfect for a banana loaf!

It's not the first time I make banana loaf, but I haven't succeeded on the previous ones I have made. What to 'blame'; the recipe, the flour, other ingredients, or even me? I do wonder about the quality of the flour.... Oh well... 

The recipe I tried today, is from an South-African cookbook. Believe it - or not - I did succeed! Everything (ingredients) 'behaved' - lol - or was it just 'my day'?! The loaf turned out delicious! Definitely this is my favorite banana loaf recipe from this day! :)





Add butter, sugar and syrup . 

Cream it together

Add mashed bananas

Add eggs

Mix dry ingredients. Mix milk and vanilla. I didn't have ground ginger so I used fresh, grated ginger

Mix it all together and then add almonds. The recipe calls for walnuts, which I didn't have

Spoon it all together and in the oven it goes

Banana and ginger loaf

125 grams butter or margarine

250 ml (1 cup) caster sugar

125 ml (1/2 cup) soft brown sugar

10 ml (2 t) golden syrup

4 ripe bananas, mashed 

(depends on the size, I used 5 small bananas) 

2 eggs, whisked

625 ml (2,5 cup) self-raising flour

(I used half self-raising and half all-purpose flour) 

3 ml (generous 1/2 t) bicarbonate of soda

5 ml (1 t) ground nutmeg

5-10 ml (1-2 t) ground ginger

(I used grated fresh ginger)

5 ml (1 t) vanilla essence 

30 ml (2 T) milk

125 ml (1/2 cup) chopped walnuts

(I used almonds)

Makes 1 loaf.

Directions: 

Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 20 x 12 x 7 cm loaf tin with butter, margarine or nonstick spray.

Cream together the butter, caster sugar, brown sugar and syrup until light and fluffy. 

Add the mashed bananas and eggs a little at the time and beat well. 

Sift together the dry ingredients.

Mix the vanilla essence and milk.

Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture, followed by the flavoured milk and nuts.

Mix lightly and spoon into the prepared tin. 

Bake in preheated oven for about 1 hour or until done and a testing skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the loaf. 

Leave the loaf to cool in the tin for some minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. 

Slice and serve with butter.

Recipe courtesy: YOU - Let's Cook - Top 500 recipes

Compiled by Carmen Miehaus