If you've enjoyed a dish you've eaten at a restaurant or café,
let us know. This month, we track down a recipe for a moist
and fruity banana cake from the Royal Horticultural Society.
The Challenge
Could you help me find the recipe for banana cake, which is used by the Royal Horticultural Society at its café at Wisley, their internationally renowned garden. I'm
a keen gardener and I visit Wisley every month for inspiration, information, and always a slice of cake. I have, to date, tried nine different banana cake recipes, and have yet to find one that reproduces the gorgeous moistness of that Wisley cake.
Julie Holland, Godalming, Surrey
The solution
WFI spoke to Sue Dykes, head baker in the café, who has been at Wisley since 1958, when she was taken on "as a dogsbody." In that time, she's seen everyone from the Queen to Sir Cliff Richard enjoying a cup of tea and one of the café's
home-baked cakes. "Along with our rock cakes and carrot cake, the banana cake is very popular," Sue says. "I changed the original recipe (which is now lost in the mists of time), adding vegetable oil to make it extra moist, and replacing walnuts with sultanas to make it nut-free."
Wisley cafe's Banana Cake
"In the café, we serve this with a
rich topping," says Sue. "Make your own by beating 75g softened butter and 125g full-fat soft cheese with 200g sifted icing sugar and a dash
of vanilla extract."
Makes 1 x 900g loaf
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 40-45 minutes
- 2 ripe bananas (about 400g)
- 150g softened butter
- 150g soft brown sugar
- 80g sultanas
- 300g plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 100ml vegetable oil
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Butter a 900g loaf tin and line the bottom and sides with non-stick baking parchment
Peel and mash the bananas. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream together until light and fluffy. Stir in the bananas and sultanas. Sift together the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. Add the flour mix and the beaten egg, each about a third at a time, to the banana mix, beating well between each addition. Finally, stir in the oil.
Pour into the loaf tin and bake for 40-45 minutes until well-risen and golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out on to a wire rack to cool completely.