Banana Bread

Also known to some as banana cake, it is one of my favorite treats that I used to get from pasar malam (night market) since young. I have tried few recipes but this is one of the more successful ones.

Source
Healthy Diet Recipes

Yield
25 cm x 11 cm loaf

Ingredients

125 g butter
175 g soft brown sugar
2 eggs
280 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
125 ml milk
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Small handful of chopped walnuts

Method
1. Heat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4 and lightly grease a 25cm x 11cm (10in x 4½in) loaf tin.
2. In a bowl, cream the butter and sugar until it is smooth and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat in well. Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt together, and slowly add half of this to the mixture and beat well. Now add the milk and remaining flour and mix until smooth.
3. In a separate bowl mash the ripe bananas with a fork and then gently fold them into the mixture along with the vanilla extract. Tip the mixture into the greased loaf tin, and top with the chopped walnuts.
4. Cover the top with foil and bake in the oven for an hour, or until the loaf is cooked through and browned on top. Cool in the tin a little before turning out.
5. Serve immediately in thick slices, with a drizzle of cream and some slices of fresh banana.

Note
A friend of mine told me that I should use the small bananas instead of the big long ones. Haven't tried it but I reckon it should work better.

Carrot Cake

Source
The Cook's Book Patisserie by Loretta Sartori

Yield
2 x 20 cm round cakes

Ingredients

300 g egg (6 x 55 g eggs)
400 g brown sugar
500 ml light oil, sunflower
450 g grated carrots
350 g crushed pineapple, well drained
180 g chopped walnut pieces, lightly roasted
525 g plain flour
6 g bicarbonate of soda
10 g baking powder
6 g cinnamon powder
4 g salt

Method
1. Whisk the eggs and sugar until thick and pale.
2. Slowly pour in the oil on a lower speed and allowing the oil to be absorbed.
3. Stop the mixer and fold through the grated carrots, crushed pineapple and walnuts.
4. Fold through the sieved dry ingredients.
5. Transfer to two buttered and floured tins.
6. Sprinkle caster sugar and cinnamon onto the surface, or leave plain if the cakes are to be garnished with cream cheese frosting when cold.
7. Bake at 175°C for 35-45 minutes.

Storage
Stored at 4°C for 4 days. Frozen at -20°C for 2 months. Serve cake at room temperature.

Variations
The sides can be masked and crushed walnuts pressed into the sides.