BANANA AND GINGER CAKE

THIS CAKE IS SWEETENED WITH A MIXTURE OF MINERAL-RICH BANANAS AND DARK, STICKY MOLASSES. I WASN’T QUITE SURE THE CAKE WAS GOING TO WORK BUT THE RICH, MOIST SPONGE COMBINED WITH THE CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING WENT DOWN REALLY WELL.

Makes about 12 slices

Preparation time: 20 minutes, plus cooling

Cooking time: 50 minutes

125ml/4fl oz/½ cup melted coconut oil or sunflower oil, plus extra for greasing

200g/7oz/scant 1¾ cups spelt or plain/all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of sea salt

1 tbsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup blackstrap molasses

3 eggs

3 bananas, mashed

CINNAMON FROSTING:

185g/6½oz cream cheese

2–3 tbsp honey, or to taste

2 tsp vanilla extract

1½ tsp ground cinnamon

1 Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. Lightly grease a 450g/1lb loaf pan.

2 Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices into a large mixing bowl, then stir until combined.

3 Beat together the oil, molasses and eggs until combined, then stir in the bananas. Pour the mixture into the dry ingredients and beat together until combined. Transfer the cake mixture to the prepared loaf pan and bake for 45–50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

4 While the cake is baking, make the cinnamon frosting. Put all the ingredients in a bowl and beat together until smooth, thick and creamy, then chill to firm up until ready to use.

5 Leave the cake to cool for a couple of minutes in the pan, then turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When cool, spread the cinnamon frosting over the top of the cake before serving in slices.

HERO FOOD

BLACKSTRAP MOLASSES

Unlike refined white sugar, blackstrap molasses contains useful amounts of minerals such as iron, magnesium, calcium, potassium and selenium.