Banana Bread

A moist, mellow loaf using up over-ripe bananas, studded with rum-soaked sultanas and chopped walnuts.

Ingredients

• 100g sultanas
• 75ml dark rum (or orange juice)
• 175g plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 0.5 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 125g unsalted butter, melted
• 150g caster sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 4 small very ripe bananas, mashed
• 60g chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Warm the sultanas in the rum and leave to soak, then drain (reserving any liquid).
2. Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/gas mark 3 and line a 900g loaf tin.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda in a bowl.
4. In another bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs, mashed bananas and vanilla.
5. Fold in the dry ingredients, then the soaked sultanas and walnuts.
6. Scrape into the tin and bake for about 1 hour until risen and a skewer comes out clean; cool in the tin before slicing.

Notes

Adapted from Nigella Lawson’s Banana Bread (How to be a Domestic Goddess / nigella.com).