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Banana and passionfruit loaf

I’m very strategic about my seat choice when I travel.

Some people like to sit by the window so they can admire the view.

Not me. I like to sit in the aisle. I like to be able to get out of my seat easily without disturbing anyone and I also like to be able to sticky beak at all the other passengers.

Last weekend I flew to Melbourne and was lucky enough to have a baby sitting a few seats ahead (on his mother’s lap of course) so I had stories read to me for part of the flight.

Pop up books make reading so much more exciting.

Why don’t they make them for adults?

Banana and passionfruit loaf

Where I wasn’t lucky was in my row choice.

Somehow I ended up in the very back row right near the galley.

While you have quick access to the bathrooms and exits in case of emergency, you are last to get your food and also right within ear shot of the stewardess’ gossiping.

After their quick dash up the aisle to sell their food and drink offerings, the two young girls set in for a yapping session.

I got to learn all about one of them giving up on sugar last week and how tired it made her.

The other regaled tales of her most recent exercise regime before the moved on to discuss their thoughts on Kristen Stewart cheating on her Twilight co-star boyfriend.

I couldn’t get off that plane sooner!

Maybe if they’d had a slice of banana and passionfruit loaf they could have talked about delicious food rather than avoiding it.

The ingredients

I think of this loaf like a jazzed up banana bread.

It’s perfect for breakfast dessert or a nice tasty morning tea but not too sweet and it’s really easy to whip up.

The recipes, from The Goddess’s Kitchen, says to strain the passionfruit but I like to include the seeds when I bake with it.

It’s like an extra surprise in every bite.

Butter and sugars

I like to use a bit of brown sugar whenever I bake with bananas.

It gives it a hint of caramel flavouring which goes rather nicely in my opinion.

Start by beating the two sugars together in the bowl of an electric mixer until they are nice and smooth and fluffy.

Eggs

Add the eggs and beat them in until they are just combined.

Flour and bicarb

Take the bowl off the stand and sift in the flour and bicarb then stir it through.

Passionfruit pulp and mashed banana

Then add the stars of the show – the passionfruit and banana and stir them through.

I must admit I was a little bit worried that relying solely on the fruits for flavour might not have a very tasty result but I was wrong.

Ready for baking

Spread the batter into the prepared tin.

Yes I also made a few mini versions for my taste testers.

Bake the loaf at 160C fan-forced for 55 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Cooling

Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.

Banana and passionfruit loaf

Serve thick slices warm or at room temperature with a smear of butter.

Enjoy!

What about you?

Where do you like to sit on the plane?

Have you ever been stuck within earshot of a very annoying conversation?

Banana and passionfruit loaf

 

Banana passionfruit loaf

Banana passionfruit loaf

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 55 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

A fancy twist on traditional banana bread.

Ingredients

  • 225g (8oz) self-raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 100g (3.5oz) butter, softened and cubed
  • 100g (3.5oz) caster (superfine) sugar
  • 75g brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 3 passion fruit
  • 3 very ripe bananas, mashed

Instructions

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 160C(320F) fan-forced.
  2. Grease and line a loaf tin so that the paper extends over the long sides to make handles.
  3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars together until light and creamy.
  4. Add a the eggs and mix until just combined.
  5. Take the bowl off the stand and sift in the flour and bicarb then stir them through until there are no dry bits.
  6. Add the passionfruit and mashed bananas to the bowl and stir them in until just combined.
  7. Spread the batter into the tin and smooth out the top.
  8. Halve the passion fruit and scoop out the pulp into a sieve over a bowl.
  9. Bake the cake for 55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
  10. Leave the cake to cool completely in the tin.
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