Banana & Maple Syrup Loaf

This banana cake is utterly perfect in our book- sweet, squidgy and heavenly when toasted and lathered with butter. I wish I had a picture of my daughter's face the first time she tried it- pure happiness! Slice up and store in the freezer or make into mini loaves.

Makes 1 large loaf

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3 ripe bananas (about 250-300g)

200ml maple syrup

3 eggs, beaten

140ml full fat milk

70ml sunflower oil

275g spelt flour

80g pecans, roasted for 10 minutes and blitzed down to a rough powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

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Preheat the oven to 170oC and line a loaf tin with baking parchment. Set aside.

Place the bananas, maple syrup and eggs in the bowl of a food mixer and beat for 3 minutes until you have a lump-free mixture. With the mixer still running, add the milk and sunflower oil and beat for a further minute until fully combined. Add the dry ingredients and beat for a further 5 minutes until smooth. Pour the mixture into your prepared loaf tin and place in the oven for 1 hour 30-45minutes or until risen and it bounces back when you touch it. Remove and place on a wire cooling rack.

[To store: wrap in foil and it will keep for 4-5 days or cut into slices and freeze for up to a month]