The Best Banana Cake

In my opinion this is the best banana cake you will ever make!  I have tried all kinds of banana cake/bread recipes over the years.  Sometimes they are rubbery in texture, or too crumbly or too damp.  This one is just right.  Delicious eaten warm from the oven;  it tastes even better a day or two after baking.

The Best Banana Cake (the rubbing in method)

Ingredients:

250g white self-raising flour

A pinch of salt

1 tsp grated nutmeg

100g unsalted butter

125g light soft brown sugar

100g raisins

2 large ripe bananas

1 egg

Demerara sugar for sprinkling

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/gas mark 4.  Grease and line a large loaf pan with greaseproof paper or baking parchment.

Sift together the flour, salt and nutmeg into a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and rub into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs.  Mix in the soft brown sugar and raisins.

In a separate bowl mash the bananas and mix with a beaten egg.  Add the banana mix to the flour/butter mixture and beat together with a wooden spoon until combined.

Spoon mixture into loaf pan and sprinkle over * demerara sugar.  Bake for about 50 minutes until cooked through.  Leave in the pan until cool.

*Do not omit the demerara sugar.  It adds a lovely crunch to the finished cake.