Ingredients

Banana Cake

• 200g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 4 bananas, mashed
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 200g self raising flour
• 1 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 150g natural yoghurt
• 30g pecan nuts, roughly chopped (optional)

Buttercream

• 150g unsalted butter
• 200g icing sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

To Garnish

• 30g pecan nuts (optional)

Method

1. Banana Cake: Preheat an oven to 175°C. Grease one or two 22cm cake tins with butter.
2. Place the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl and beat them until they are creamy.
3. Whisk the eggs in one at a time, combining them well with the butter and scraping down the sides of the bowl regularly.
4. Beat in the banana and vanilla and mix them in until well combined.
5. Sift the flour and bicarbonate of soda together and while mixing on a low speed add half of the flour to the cake mixture. Beat the flour into the mixture until smooth then add a half of the yoghurt mixing until combined. Repeat this process so you use the remaining flour and yoghurt.
6. Stir the pecans into the cake mixture (if using) until well distributed.
7. Spoon the cake mix evenly into the prepared cake tin or tins. Place the cakes on the centre shelf in the preheated oven. Cook the cakes for 45 minutes or up to 60 minutes for a large single one.
8. The cake is ready when it has risen and is firm, to test if it is ready insert a skewer into the centre it should come out clear. Remove the cake from the oven and leave it to cool for a couple of minutes then turn it out onto a cooling rake.
9. Buttercream: Break the butter up into small pieces into a mixing bowl. Beat it until is smooth and creamy. Gradually add the icing sugar while mixing slowly until it is well combined. Mix in the vanilla essence the whisk the icing vigorously until it is smooth and creamy.
10. To Assemble: If using two cakes ice the top of one half and then sandwich the two cakes together and ice the cakes all over or simply ice the single cake generously. Decorate around the edges of the top of the cake with the pecan nuts if using. Refrigerate the cake until ready to serve.

• Remember that most cakes contain eggs and should always be stored in a refrigerator so as to avoid food poisoning.