Gone Bananas

• Peel the bananas and mash them with a fork until mostly smooth. A few small soft lumps are fine, but avoid leaving large pieces, as they can make the cake bake unevenly. Measure out 1½ cups before continuing.

• Beat the softened butter and caster sugar in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes, until pale and creamy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition, then mix in the mashed banana and vanilla.

• Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a separate bowl. Add half of the dry ingredients to the banana mixture and fold gently, followed by the sour cream. Fold in the remaining dry ingredients just until no dry streaks remain.

Pro Tip: Room-temperature ingredients blend more evenly, but if your butter is still firm, cut it into small cubes and leave it for 15 minutes. Do not melt it, as melted butter can make this cake heavier.

• Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon. Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the tin once after 30 minutes if your oven has a hot spot.

• Check the cake by inserting a skewer into the centre. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, and the middle should spring back lightly when pressed. If the skewer shows wet batter, bake for another 5 minutes and check again.

• Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then lift it onto a wire rack to cool completely. The cake must be cool before icing, otherwise the cream cheese mixture will soften and slide.

• To make the icing, beat the cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Add the sifted icing sugar in two or three additions, beating slowly at first, then mix in the lemon juice. Beat only until smooth and spreadable.

• Spread the icing over the completely cooled cake using a small palette knife or the back of a dessert spoon. For tidy squares, chill the iced cake for 20 minutes before cutting it into 10 pieces.

Chef Notes & Variations

This cake keeps well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. Because the icing contains cream cheese, I prefer to refrigerate it, then let the pieces stand at room temperature for 20-30 minutes before serving. The crumb softens again and the icing becomes pleasantly creamy. For afternoon tea, cut the cake into small squares and add a light dusting of cinnamon or a few thin banana slices just before serving. Add the banana slices only when serving, as they darken in the fridge.

For a slightly nuttier version, stir ½ cup of chopped walnuts through the batter just before it goes into the tin. Keep the pieces fairly small so the cake still cuts cleanly. If you prefer a less tangy icing, reduce the lemon juice to ½ teaspoon; if you like a sharper finish, add the full teaspoon and a little finely grated lemon zest.

Swap It: Replace the sour cream with plain unsweetened yoghurt. The batter will still be moist, though the flavour will be a touch lighter. The important check is the centre of the cake: it should spring back gently before you take it from the oven.

The useful takeaway is simple: ripe bananas bring sweetness and moisture, while sour cream and cream cheese give this everyday cake its soft texture and balanced finish.

Quick Version

Beat 125 g butter with ¾ cup caster sugar, add 2 eggs, 1½ cups mashed overripe banana and vanilla, then fold in 1¾ cups flour, raising agents, salt and ½ cup sour cream. Bake in a lined 20 cm square tin at 170°C for 40-45 minutes, cool, then ice with beaten cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and lemon juice.

End of chapter one. 29 more chapters in the full book.