Banana cake

This is a very soft cake that we make a lot. We always have bananas in the fruit bowl and sometimes can’t eat them fast enough – even though we’re addicted to fried bananas for breakfast (see the method in the book) – so we use them in this cake. We take the cake with us as travelling fodder, as none of my children will eat the food offered on trains or planes: in fact, one of my stepsons used to throw up whenever he saw his passport. The cake is also great served as a pudding. Top it with some cream or crème fraîche and a fruit purée made by mashing raspberries or strawberries with icing sugar. Also try it as a breakfast bread, add it to a school lunchbox, or offer it as a snack when the kids come home hungry after swimming or surfing. The recipe comes from Maravic, who has worked for Ben for many years. She is a great cook (and her spring rolls are a wonder – there’s a recipe in the book). MAKES 10-12 SLICES 150g butter, at room temperature 125g light muscovado sugar 225g self-raising flour 4 large ripe bananas (about 550g in total, weighed in their skins) 3 medium eggs, beaten pinch of salt 1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Line a 21cm x 11cm loaf tin with greaseproof paper or a 2lb loaf-tin liner.

Put the butter into a large bowl and whisk until softened. Add the sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Sift the flour over the top. Mash the bananas in a separate bowl, then add to the flour.

Add the eggs, salt and vanilla and beat until smooth. This is best done with some type of electric whisk.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 60-80 minutes. The cake is ready when a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.