Mary Berry Banana Walnut Loaf Recipes

MARY BERRY'S BANANA BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven 160C/140C Fan/Gas 3. Grease and line a 450g/1lb loaf tin with non-stick baking parchment.
• Use a fork to mash the peeled banana in a mixing bowl. Add the remaining cake ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and beat with an electric hand whisk until combined and smooth.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and spoon the mixture into the prepared loaf tin. Level the top.
• Bake for 40-45 minutes or until well risen, shrinking away from the sides of the tin and golden-brown.
• Set aside to cool for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and leave to cool on a wire rack.
• For the decoration, break the chocolate into small pieces and add to a heatproof bowl.
• Melt the chocolate in the bowl over a pan of simmering water (ensuring that the bowl does not touch the water). Stir regularly, until almost completely melted, then remove from the heat. The heat of the bowl will melt any remaining lumps.
• Spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag and pipe zig-zags across the top of the loaf. Set aside for the chocolate to set. Slice and serve.

BANANA & WALNUT LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Grease a 2lb loaf tin with some butter and line the base with baking parchment, then grease this as well.
• In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar and egg, then slowly mix in flour and baking powder. Peel, then mash the bananas. Now mix everything together, including the nuts.
• Pour your mixture into the tin and bake for 1 hr, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack before removing from the loaf tin. The loaf can now be wrapped tightly in cling film and kept for up to 2 days, or frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost and warm through before serving. Serve in thick slices topped with vanilla ice cream and drizzled with a little Easy chocolate sauce (see recipe, below).

BANANA, WALNUT & CHOCOLATE CHIP LOAF

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Line a 900g/2lb loaf tin with baking parchment. In a large bowl, mash together the bananas and the sugar with the back of a fork. Add the eggs and mix well with an electric hand whisk until fully incorporated, then add the butter and mix for a couple mins more to blend everything together. Sieve in the flour and baking powder and fold together with a spatula, then add the walnuts and chocolate chips. Give everything one final mix before tipping into the lined loaf tin.
• Bake for 1 hr 5 mins or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool slightly in the tin, then turn out and serve cut into thick slices, either warm or at room temperature. Any uneaten cake will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

BANANA LOAF

Steps:

• You will need a 900g (2lb) loaf tin, 17 x 9 x 9cm (6½ x 3½ x 3½in) base measurement. Lightly grease the loaf tin and line it with non-stick baking parchment. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4. Measure all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and beat for about two minutes, until well blended; an electric mixer is best for this but of course you can also beat by hand with a wooden spoon. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake for about one hour, until well risen and golden brown. A fine skewer inserted in the centre of the cake should come out clean. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes, then loosen with a small palette knife and turn the cake out. Remove the lining paper and leave on a wire rack to cool completely. Slice thickly to serve. Get your copy of Simple Comforts, Mary Berry's essential new guide to comfort cooking. Featuring over 120 delicious, foolproof recipes, including a whole chapter of Mary's favourite new bakes and puds: