Easy 4-step Banana Loaf

Hello again! I’m baaaaack! 

It has been quite a while since I’ve been on this little blog of ours, however, it’s time to give it some love again and share some of the things we’ve created during the past few months. I’m going to start off with an easy recipe, but there will be all sorts flooding this way soon. 

I know a lot of people who say they can’t bake and this is a recipe that even those who can’t bake can bake. All you need is a loaf tin and the ingredients all of which will probably be found in your cupboard and lets face it, there’s always at least two brown, spotty bananas that someone doesn’t want to eat!

Ingredients are as follows:

100g – butter (I used stork)
175g – caster sugar
225g – self-raising flour
2 – eggs
2 – ripe bananas (mash them in a bowl first)
1 tsp – baking powder
2 tbsp – milk

  1. Pre-heat your oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4
  2. Lightly grease your loaf tin and line it with non-stick baking paper. I use the paper from Tesco’s that specifically says baking. Do not use the greaseproof paper – it is absolute pants and if you’re like me, will end up in a corner crying because your cake is stuck and looks like a crumbly mess. 
  3. Anywayyyy… Measure out the ingredients and put everything into the mixing bowl… e v e r y t h i n g!! Don’t bother mixing the butter and the flour first or whatever recipes usually say. Lob it all in together and mix. Obviously I used my Kitchen Aid as per usual, however any electric mixer works, but only mix for around 2 minutes or until you have a thick cake batter. You can beat it by hand, but your arm might drop off – so there’s your warning!
  4. Next up, spoon the mixture into the prepared tin, level it off a little and shove it in the oven for 1 hour. Add slices of banana on top and pop it back in the oven until the cake looks brown on top. Make sure you’ve got a cake poker too and if, when you poke it, it comes out clean you can take it out!

I tend to take the cake out of the tin after a few minutes and then place it on a wire rack to cool, but make sure you take off the baking paper! 

…and voila. Here was my creation. Enjoy and let me know how yours turns out on here or on Instagram

Sx

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Engaged.

Excitingly my other half proposed to me whilst we were on holiday in Mauritius last November. (I’m sure we’ll make a post about Mauritius at some point – it was truly beautiful!) It wasn’t something I expected, I especially didn’t think he’d have the nerve to transport a ring all the way there without me suspecting anything, but low and behold he did!!

We told my grandparents and they were extremely elated, however they didn’t know what to buy us. We obviously didn’t want nor need a gift from anyone. We bought our house the year before and have no need for new toasters, kettles or similar household items. However, they wanted us to have something memorable, something we could keep forever and then we found this – FACED.

I actually found FACED on instagram a while ago and was dead set on getting a portrait of the three of us for the hallway waaaaaaay before an engagement was even thought of. I loved the idea that it wasn’t selfie or a professional photograph. It’s unique and our family/friends can quite clearly see the resemblance.

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The whole process was easy. You simply e-mail through photos those you want to be FACED along with any other requirements such as a date, a love heart, colour shirt, etc. I would presume that most things are possible! You get a proof to review before the final is printed which I thought was a great idea as there were a few things we altered. It arrived quickly and we managed to get it before Christmas.

My grandparents love it. They love that we will always remember what they funded to remember our special engagement. It really is a beautiful gift and I would highly recommend it!!

Sx