I have been continuing the clear-out of the cupboards as we prepare to move back to the UK... This weekend saw a couple of half empty bags of dessicated coconut, some overripe bananas and polenta inspiring me to create a delightful tea-time cake.
It is a moist banana cake with a hint of coconut and heavy dusting of icing sugar. It takes moments to assemble and is so delicious with a cuppa in the afternoon. It also keeps jolly well, if you can resist it...
Ingredients
200 g unsalted butter, very soft
200 g caster sugar
120 g fine polenta
130 g dessicated coconut
50 g ground almonds
50 g flaked almonds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3 large free-range eggs
icing sugar, for dusting
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180C and grease and live a 23 cm round cake tin.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl mix together the polenta, coconut, almonds and baking powder.
4. Add one egg to the butter mixture as well as one third of the polenta mixture. Beat well until combined. Continue until all the eggs and polenta mix are combined with the butter mixture.
5. Add the mashed bananas and beat well.
6. Spoon into the cake tin and pop in the oven for about 40 minutes or until risen, golden brown and starting to come away from the edges of the tin.
7. Allow to cool in the tin and then remove, peel away the greaseproof paper and then dusting, heavily, with icing sugar.
Another super use for polenta.
