Cameroon – Banana Cake

by Verdzekov Bernard

Banana is a fruit eating by humans and animals. This is a very old fruit that bares from a flowering plant of the Genus Musa. It had long existed. This plant bares plantains and banana. Plantains could be used for cooking while banana is eating as a fruit.

For those who don’t know, banana could be used for baking as well. it is used as the main ingredient for baking. This cake is called banana cake. Sweet naturally though still needs sugar and very helpful to the body. Eating banana cake, you don’t need so much of it. 2-4 tiny slices could make you satisfied. This is as a result of the banana. 

Another fundamental characteristic when it comes to the preparation of cakes is that, to be able to come up successful, take your measurement seriously. If you make errors in measuring the ingredients that you will use in the preparation of your cake, the chances of you to succeed in baking are very slim. Avoid changing measuring equipment’s. For me, what I always do is, after coming up with my measuring equipment, after each baking activity, I thoroughly wash the instruments, baking tins and my measuring equipment’s and keep in a very special place save from damage or loss, so that I will be able to use next time.

I will like to tell you how banana is important for the body. Though mixed to bake cake, your body still extract what it needs and sends out the waist if at all they will be any. Lol. 

• Banana helps to maintain or replenish after eating it, the potassium in your body which helps to keep your heart healthy and maintain your blood pressure.
• For men, the consumption of banana helps to replenish your sperms after having sex.
• Eating banana, helps to give you energy.
• Overripe banana, particularly the one with dark spots, helps to maintain your skin color or makes you gain back your skin color.’
• Consuming banana, at most five a day and three at list, will help maintain your nervous system. Etc.

To bake banana cake, you will need

• Baking tin. This should be in the various shapes that you want your cake to be formed. 
• Whisk 
• Bowl 
• A mortar and pestle (that is if you don’t have a blender)
• Table spoon
• Measuring scale (that is if you have one or can afford one) 
• Icing machine (that is if you will love to ice your cake)

My mom still uses a mortar and pestle to pawn her bananas that she will use for baking, though there is a blender. I asked why? And she said, it is because with the mortar and pestle, she will be able to recognized that natural brownness of the banana and too the thickness of the banana will be maintained. She also said, with the mortar and pestle, she can process more bananas too all at once for them to have same texture. You can use a blender still. Is your choice to make. 

Ingredients

• Banana (A handful). 
• Baking powder (1 ½)
• Butter milk (optional)
• All-purpose flour (4cups)
• Salt to taste ½ teaspoon 
• Baking soda 1 ½ teaspoon 
• 4 large eggs 2
• ¾ – 1 cup of sugar. (This should be your measuring cup for sugar).
• 3 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Process

• Using your mortar and pestle, mash your banana perfectly. Make it smooth. Make sure you don’t add any water too when pawning. Keep aside.
• Put your baking powder, your salt, baking soda and flour in one bowl and stir well.
• Mix your sugar and butter mix thoroughly until butter texture is almost white. Add your eggs and mix well. Add your vanilla mix well.
• Remove your oven pans and Greece them while you also turn on the flames in the oven to preheat.
• Add your mash banana and mix well. Make sure you avoid air bubbles. 
• If you want to add butter milk to make your cake rich, add and stir well. Avoid lumps. So, you have to mix well. This mixing takes a lot of energy, but after eating your banana cake, your energy will be replenished. 
• Greece your baking tins. Put your mixture into the tin. Make sure you don’t over full the baking tin. Half or below half the tin is ok, because the cake will rice. Put your cake in the oven and start timing. Time should flow between 40-45mins. 
• During baking process, don’t open your oven a lot. Three times checking is ok. And when closing the oven door, make sure you do that gently. If a lot of air should rush into the oven, the cake may sink. Make sure you don’t open the oven door and allow it open while your cake is in it.
• Also, the best way you can know if your cake is ready, using a clean broom stick, insert from the top of the cake, and remove, if it is dry, and the top of the cake brawn already, and the time set for baking is within the range, then remove the cake and set aside. 
• Allow it to cool for some time before you serve.
• If you love creaming or icing, then you can go on with creaming or icing the cake after it has cool. 

Enjoy…