Cafe Lula

A few weeks ago, I bought a gigantic jar of Nutella. Because I might want to bake with it, or spread it on bananas, or eat it straight from the jar with a spoon. But then I forgot about it, until Chris told me I needed to bake with Nutella because we had three jars. Where did these other two jars come from? How had I not eaten all of it in front of the tv yet? Who bought all this Nutella? Well, me.

I also acquire bananas at an alarming rate. I intend to be healthy and have them for breakfast, but whenever I go to eat one I just resent it for not being chocolate, so I leave it instead.

Then! It finally occurred to me. I should combine this mountain of Nutella with those sad looking, rejected bananas and make a beautiful, squidgy loaf cake! I made this cake twice in two days. It is ace hot or cold and is lovely with a big glass of milk. It also makes it much easier for me to eat those bananas for breakfast 🙂

P.S. What foods seem to build up in your house?

Nutella-banana loaf cake

A Cafe Lula recipe

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

150g/ 2/3 cup/1.25 sticks butter

175g/ 3/4 cup sugar

3 eggs

175g/ 1.4 cups self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp cocoa powder

300g/10.5 oz Nutella

2 medium bananas, very ripe, mashed

Preheat the oven to 160C fan oven/170C. Grease a 900g/2lb loaf tin and line the base with greaseproof paper, cut so that it overhangs at either end (then you can use it to lift the cake out when it’s baked. Clever!).

Put 150g/5.25 oz of the Nutella in a small saucepan and heat gently until runny.

While the Nutella is melting, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl using an electric handwhisk or wooden spoon. Beat the eggs in one at a time, then sift in the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder. Stir and fold in the flour, then stir in the bananas and Nutella.

Scrape and pour into the loaf tin, then drop spoonfuls of the remaining 150g/5.25 oz on top. Swirl the Nutella into the cake mixture with a knife, then put the cake in the oven. After 30 minutes, cover the cake with tinfoil to stop it browning too much, then cook for another 35 minutes (total bake time 65 minutes), until a knife inserted into the centre comes out just about clean.

Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely. Or eat it warm if you can’t wait, but be aware that it will not slice, it will fall to pieces and you’ll have to lick it off the table 😀