Cinnamon Swirl Banana Bread

Ingredients

• For the Banana Bread
• Self Raising Flour (225g)
• Unsalted Butter or Stork (75g) (or use Salted Butter and omit the pinch of salt)
• Caster Sugar (175g)
• Salt (Pinch)
• Eggs (2 medium)
• Ground Cinnamon (1 teaspoon)
• Bananas (3 - approx 400g)
• For the Cinnamon Swirl
• Caster Sugar (Granulated would also be fine) (50g)
• Ground Cinnamon (2 teaspoons)
• For the Vanilla Icing
• Icing Sugar (75g)
• Vanilla Extract (1/2 teaspoon)
• Milk (or water) - as needed to meet desired consistency

Method

• For the Banana Bread and Cinnamon Swirl

1. Heat oven to 180°C (gas mark 4). Grease and line a 1k/2lb loaf tin. Mash the bananas with a fork in to a smooth paste and set aside. Mix together the flour, salt, and cinnamon and set aside. For the cinnamon swirl: In a seperate bowl add the sugar and ground cinnamon.
2. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
3. Add the eggs to the butter and sugar mixture a little at a time with the flour.
4. Add any remaining flour, along with the bananas.
5. Spoon a third of the banana bread batter in to the loaf tin, then pour on a third of the cinnamon swirl mix, and swirl with a cake skewer or knife (if you want thiccc swirls then don't over-do it here!). Repeat this two more times until all of both mixtures are used up!
6. Bake for 50-60 minutes until a knife comes out clean (mine took 55 minutes). (Note: The top will be slightly harder than usual becuase of the delicious cinnamon sugar crust!)
7. Leave in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then turn out on to the rack to cool fully.

• For the Vanilla Icing

1. Mix the icing sugar along with the vanilla. Add the milk/water a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached (I like mine quite thick!)
2. Drizzle the vanilla sugar over the cake, then slice and serve.

Notes

• - The vanilla icing is optional but I really enjoy it!
• - Adding the cinnamon sugar to the top of the banana bread means a yummy cinnamon sugar crust forms - if this isn't your thing then feel free to add all the cinnamon sugar to the centre of the cake. You'll still get all of the flavour but no crust!
• - You can make 500g/1lb (half the size of a regular loaf tin) cinnamon swirl banana bread by halving all the cake ingredients. The cooking time will also need to be decreased to approx 30-35 minutes.