Monday Mood Cake - Banana and Walnut Cake for 'not only going nuts but bananas, too'.
It does not need to be a Monday to feel like going nuts or bananas or - very often - both. Any day goes, but on Mondays it is usually the most likely. Going nuts does not need to be a bad thing, though. I usually end up laughing after moments of despair, then I sit down, have a deep breath and prioritise.
What it is that makes me go nuts?
Too many things going on simultaneously. Too many things or people around wanting something from me right now. Toothache which cannot decide if it is real or imaginary. Cat who has brought a live mouse into the kitchen and the mouse has disappeared somewhere. Somebody ringing the doorbell. (Thanks to texts and emails the phone does not really ring that often nowadays!!) Clock ticking and telling me I just missed the bus. Various (brilliant!) ideas coming into my mind and I cannot find pen and paper to write them down (And no, I cannot use my laptop for that. It would be like starting to implement the ideas right away which you just cannot do as the paper needs to be lost and found several times first, and then the ideas refined!)
And finally: Half a dozen overripe bananas in the kitchen attracting banana flies and reminding me of something... something?
Cake! Once again I know my priorities. Deep breath.
Do what you enjoy doing the most and forget the irrelevant, as long as you have checked the kitchen and made sure the mouse is not there any more to come and nibble your cake.
Banana and Walnut Cake
Batter
200 g butter
250 ml golden granulated sugar (or demerara sugar)
2 tsp vanilla sugar
2 large eggs
100 ml Greek yogurt
3-4 overripe bananas, mashed
400 ml self-raising flour
100 g chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 175C/350F and grease or line with baking parchment a 25 cm x 25 cm square cake pan or Ø 24 cm round cake pan.
2. Cream butter and sugars.
3. Add eggs and mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients together with yogurt and mashed banana.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
6. Let cool on a rack before spreading on frosting.
FrostingToo many things going on simultaneously. Too many things or people around wanting something from me right now. Toothache which cannot decide if it is real or imaginary. Cat who has brought a live mouse into the kitchen and the mouse has disappeared somewhere. Somebody ringing the doorbell. (Thanks to texts and emails the phone does not really ring that often nowadays!!) Clock ticking and telling me I just missed the bus. Various (brilliant!) ideas coming into my mind and I cannot find pen and paper to write them down (And no, I cannot use my laptop for that. It would be like starting to implement the ideas right away which you just cannot do as the paper needs to be lost and found several times first, and then the ideas refined!)
And finally: Half a dozen overripe bananas in the kitchen attracting banana flies and reminding me of something... something?
Cake! Once again I know my priorities. Deep breath.
Do what you enjoy doing the most and forget the irrelevant, as long as you have checked the kitchen and made sure the mouse is not there any more to come and nibble your cake.
Banana and Walnut Cake
Batter
200 g butter
250 ml golden granulated sugar (or demerara sugar)
2 tsp vanilla sugar
2 large eggs
100 ml Greek yogurt
3-4 overripe bananas, mashed
400 ml self-raising flour
100 g chopped walnuts
1. Preheat oven to 175C/350F and grease or line with baking parchment a 25 cm x 25 cm square cake pan or Ø 24 cm round cake pan.
2. Cream butter and sugars.
3. Add eggs and mix well.
4. Add dry ingredients together with yogurt and mashed banana.
5. Pour batter into pan and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes.
6. Let cool on a rack before spreading on frosting.
200 g cream cheese
100 g soft butter
200 ml icing sugar
1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth.
2. Spread evenly on cake (and add a few whole walnuts to garnish).
The texture of the cake is quite dense but gooey and moist and 'easy' to eat. Very good and sophisticated taste. Long live us nuts and bananas!
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