A Little Something for Teatime

Last weekend, R came back to run a few errands in Hereford and stayed a couple of nights with us to play Axis and Allies war games with L.

R, our favourite pharmacist has gone back to his university city, to the hospital he trained in to do a diploma and further his career. Since being there, he has been eating considerably healthier, taking more exercise and looks better for it. He claims that now he is not doing locum work in Morrisons, he is no longer tempted by endless aisles of cakes and croissants; and as a result, not a single pastry has past his lips.

M has not been eating lately, we suspect a tooth or two is about it rear its little white head; and I wanted to make something comforting for her with lots of fruit in to try to convince myself that she was getting something healthy other than milk into her system.

You can guess what happened - M didn't eat one, just picked out the dried blueberries; and R had a few, iced and un-iced, and indulged in one or two or three chocolate mousses from the restaurant that were going begging and perhaps taking the 'Do try one' instruction a little bit too far. Don't tell the girlfriend!

 

These little loaves were delightfully moist with banana, studded with little pieces of white chocolate and dried blueberries, which are incidentally my new favourite snack. I found the little bakeable loaf papers in Sainsburys a few months ago and they have been sitting patiently on the shelf waiting for a recipe just like this one. They were great with tea the same day, but a few uneaten iced ones found their way into the fridge (so that the icing wouldn't melt) and they made a breakfast/brunch so delicious that next time, I will deliberately make them for such a meal. 

Banana, White Chocolate and Bluberry Cakes with Orange Icing (makes 10 loaves)

Ingredients

For the cakes

125g unsalted butter

175g caster sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 small ripe bananas

50ml sour cream

2 large eggs

1tsp bicarbonate of soda

1/2tsp baking powder

300g plain flour

50g dried blueberries

50g roughly chopped white chocolate

For the icing

zest two oranges

juice 1 orange

75g icing sugar

300g soft cheese (philadelphia or mascarpone are best)

Method

For the cakes

Preheat the oven to gas mark 5/180C. Place the paper loaf cases, 5 to a tray, into two baking trays with low sides, allowing sapce between each.

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Add the sugar, vanilla and soft bananas and mash with a potato masher in the pan.

Add the eggs and sour cream and mash until well incorporated.

Next add the bicarb amd baking powder, mix again.

Finally, beat in the flour, blueberries and white chocolate.

When the mixture has come together divide amongst the paper loaf cases and cook for 30mins until golden and a cake skewer comes out clean.

Place the loaves onto a cooling rack and leave to cool.

For the icing

Place the orange zest, juice and cream cheese into a bowl.

Sift in the icing sugar and beat well to combine.

Spread onto the top of each cooled cake using a palette knife.

Store any leftover cakes in and airtight container in the fridge for freshness.