Diary of an ex-dancer...: Mum's Banana Birthday Cake

So.... today is my birthday! And even though I'm on the other side of the world, I will follow my family's birthday tradition. Every year mum would ask me the same question, though we both always knew the answer: "What kind of birthday cake would you like Amber?" "Banana cake!" Every year until I left home mum would make me a banana birthday cake filled with whipped cream and sliced bananas, and covered with cream cheese icing.

7 simple ingredients...

My mum's banana cake recipe is the easiest recipe you could imagine. I've been making it for years and have got the prep time down to 30 minutes, so from start until it comes out of the oven is 75 minutes. It's also fool-proof, which makes it a great stress-free cake to make for family and friends.

I use the same cake mixture to make my banana and chocolate chip muffins. When the cake mixture is complete, just add a cup of chocolate chips, and divide into greased muffin tins and bake at 180 degrees for about 10-12 minute, or until medium brown on top. This mixture will make about 16 muffins.

Mum's Banana Birthday Cake

Makes 1x23cm/9inch cake

For the cake:

115 grams (4 oz) butter

170 grams (6 oz) caster sugar

230 grams (8 oz) flour

2 eggs

2 large bananas

1 level teaspoon baking soda

2 tablespoons hot milk

For the icing:

250grams cream cheese

4 tablespoons icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

Also:

300ml double cream for whipping

1 large banana, sliced

1) In a large mixing bowl microwave butter for 20-30 seconds to soften. Add sugar and beat butter and sugar until white and fluffy. Fold in eggs. Mash bananas thoroughly and add. Mix the baking soda with the warm milk into a froth and beat into mixture. Sieve flour into mixture and mix.

Cream the sugar and butter until white and fluffy...

2) Bake at 180C (350F) for at least half an hour (mine took 45 minutes), or until knife comes out clean. Leave to cool completely, then refrigerate. You can freeze the cake at this point and it will defrost fine.

3) In a bowl beat the cream cheese until it's soft and smooth. Add the icing sugar one tablespoon at a time and keep tasting it to check. Stop adding icing sugar when it's just sweet enough - too much sugar and it will turn into syrup! Add the vanilla essence last. Whip the cream until quite stiff- as it will hold up the top half of the cake.

Finish with whipped cream, sliced banana and cream cheese icing

4) Slice your cake in two horizontally. Onto the bottom layer arrange sliced bananas, then cover evenly with whipped cream. Onto the top half evenly spread the cream cheese icing. Assemble the cake and serve immediately! It will last for 2-3 days in the fridge.