Coconut & Banana loaf

i haven't baked in a while now, so on Sunday I was in the mood to give something new a go, I saw this recipe a while ago in a newspaper, forgive me I can't remember which one.... Without the frosting you could even serve it as a breakfast loaf, very light and interesting combination of flavours, I would highly recommend giving it a try...

ingredients

3 mashed ripe bananas

200g coconut milk

2 eggs

120ml vegetable oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

125g granulated sugar

350g self raising flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

120g desiccated coconut

1/2 tsp if salt

frosting

150g icing sugar

300g cream cheese

125ml double cream

1 tsp vanilla extract (seeds of 1 vanilla pod)

topping

50g toasted dessicated coconut

method

1 - Heat oven to 170C, grease 2 litre loaf tin

2 - blend bananas and coconut milk together

3 - beat oil and sugar together, gradually add the 2 eggs, stir in the vanilla and banana & coconut milk mix

4 - whisk together the flour, bicarb and salt in a mixing bowl, then fold wet ingredients into the dry & add desiccated coconut.

5 - pour into the loaf tin and bake for 60 minutes

6 - to make the frosting, whip the cream and vanilla, then add to the cream cheese and icing sugar

7 - spread the frosting on top of the cake once cool, toast the 50g desiccated coconut and sprinkle over the top!!

Caramel apple cake

It's my last day at work today and in time honoured tradition I have baked a few cakes for all the guys at work, this is the first time I have made this particular one - "Caramel Apple Cake", I picked up the recipe sheet from a local Waitrose, its pretty simple and blooming delicious with a nice cuppa tea.

Ingredients

300g (3 large) bramley cooking apples (peeled, cored and diced)
125g unsalted, softened butter
397g (1 tin) carnation caramel
2 eggs
225g self raising flour
2 tsp cinammon
2 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp demerara sugar

Method

1 - Preheat oven to 160 and grease and line a 7inch cake tin
2 - Whisk with an electric mixer the butter and 225g caramel together
3 - Add the 2 eggs and beat together
4 - Sift in the flour, cinammon and baking powder and mix well
5 - Stir in the apple and milk and spoon into the cake tin
6 - Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and bake in the oven for 1 hour
7 - Once cooled, gently heat the rest of the caramel and pour over the top of the cake!