Banana cake with caramel walnuts

Babiche Martens

I just love this moist banana cake recipe, a favourite since my childhood. I’ve added some decadent caramel walnuts on top. Adding a bit of butter to the caramel means you’re less likely to burn it — but don’t walk away and leave it. This cake will keep in the fridge for several days. Use the bananas which have been sitting in the fruit bowl for a few days as they will will have more flavour — the browner the better.

For the cake

110 g	Butter
140 g	Sugar
1 tsp	Vanilla
2	Eggs
2 large	Bananas, mashed
1 tsp	Baking powder
220 g	Plain flour
1 tsp	Baking soda
2 Tbsp	Hot milk

For the caramel walnuts

1 Tbsp	Butter
¼ cup	Sugar
½ cup	Walnuts, broken roughly (Main)

For the icing

30 g	Butter
100 g	Cream cheese
½ tsp	Vanilla
1 ½ cups	Icing sugar
1 tsp	Lemon zest
1 Tbsp	Lemon juice

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 170C. Line a 22cm cake tin with baking paper.
2. Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until light and creamy. Add vanilla and eggs one at a time, beating through. Stir in bananas.
3. Sift together flour and baking powder. Dissolve baking soda in milk, then add to the creamed mixture along with the flour/baking powder, combining well. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin before removing.
4. To make the caramel walnuts, line an oven tray with baking paper. Place the butter and sugar into a heavy based pan. Stirring as it melts cook for 5-8 minutes until a golden caramel colour. Stir in the nuts then tip on to your lined tray. Cool completely then break into pieces.
5. To make the icing, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla until well combined. Stir through the icing sugar, zest and lemon juice until smooth and spreadable.
6. Place the cake on a platter, ice and scatter with nuts.

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