Name: Banana cake
Yield: Makes 1 large cake or two tea loaves
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 290 g caster sugar; 200 g soft butter; 2 eggs, lightly beaten; 5 ml (1 t) vanilla extract; 250 ml (1 c) about 3 ripe bananas, mashed; 10 ml (2 t) brandy; 2 ml (½ t) baking soda; 5 ml (1 t) baking powder; 280 g flour; 2 ml (½ t) salt; 125 ml (½ c) buttermilk; 50 g walnuts, finely chopped; 180 ml (¾ c) coconut, plus extra for decoration

Reader Marie du Plooy of Langenhovenpark is our June 2014 winner for her lovely ‘Teetydtreffer’.

Banana cake

Serves: Makes 1 large cake or two tea loaves Nutrition facts: 200 calories 20 grams fat

Ingredients

290 g caster sugar
200 g soft butter
2 eggs, lightly beaten
5 ml (1 t) vanilla extract
250 ml (1 c) about 3 ripe bananas, mashed
10 ml (2 t) brandy
2 ml (½ t) baking soda
5 ml (1 t) baking powder
280 g flour
2 ml (½ t) salt
125 ml (½ c) buttermilk
50 g walnuts, finely chopped
180 ml (¾ c) coconut, plus extra for decoration

Instructions

Decorate

1 Beat 250 g softened butter and 500 ml (2 c) icing sugar until light.
2 Add 60 ml (¼ c) evaporated milk and beat well with an electric mixer.
3 Decorate with extra grilled coconut shavings

Cake

4 Preheat the oven to 180 ° C. Spray two 23 cm round cake pans or 2 x 2 cm x 9 cm x 19 cm bread pans with nonstick spray.
5 Cream the butter and sugar together until light. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well.
6 Stir in the brandy and banana. Sift the baking soda, baking powder, flour and salt.
7 Mix the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately with the banana mixture. Add the walnuts.
8 Sprinkle a layer of coconut in each pan. Divide the batter between the pans.
9 Spread evenly and sprinkle the rest of the coconut over. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
10 Let the cake cool before turning out.
11 Decorate and sprinkle extra coconut over cake.