Upside Down Caramel and Banana Cake.

This is actually a really good banana bread recipe- I'm just calling it a cake due to my lack of a loaf tin!

I thought it was about time that I finally take on my Pinterest 'food I'd like to try' board and after searching through, agonising over which amazing dish to try, I decided to go with a cake that had fruit in it (hey, that way it's healthy right? right?!) This cake proved a bit tricky to make, mostly because I had to work out the measurements from 'cups' which I hate using. I have kindly put the ingredients list into ounces so that its a bit easier for us Brits!

• 3 Oz soft brown sugar
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 bananas- sliced
• 3 Oz self raising flour
• 3 Oz caster sugar
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• A pinch of salt
• 1 mashed banana
• 2 eggs - beaten
• 3 Oz vegetable oil
• 2 Oz buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For Caramel sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp double cream

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees/ gas mark 4.
• Grease a baking tin and pat all of the brown sugar into the bottom so that it is packed tightly.
• Dot the butter on top of the sugar and place in the oven until the butter has melted into the sugar.
• Stir the sugar at the bottom and then pat it back into place. Layer the banana slices on top.
• Mix all of the dry ingredients together, then mix all of the wet ingredients together and whisk the two together until smooth.
• Pour the mixture over the base of the cake and place in the oven for around an hour (until a knife comes out clean).
• Leave the cake to cool for around half an hour and then flip the tin and get the cake out.
• Serve with caramel sauce if wanted (just add all of the ingredients together in a pan and heat to desired consistency!)  

I also threw a handful of chocolate chips into the mixture but that's optional (as are walnuts which seems to be a popular ingredient). The recipe looks fairly simple here- when I attempted making this cake, I forgot to add the caster sugar, queue rapidly throwing it into the mixture while it was in the cake tin (something I wouldn't recommend). Even though this recipe was fairly tricky, after tasking it I would definitely make it again! 

'Clean' Blueberry and Banana Muffins!

Healthy Cake?! Finally!

I'm not ashamed to admit that I'm one of those annoying people that talks about how they are going to start to eat healthier as the winter draws to a close. In my mind, I think- how can I not? I've spent the last few months hidden away under coats and jumpers, eating stodge and other winter treats (and bloody enjoying it I might add), but as the weather warms and the layers get thinner, I start to think perhaps a salad might not be such a bad thing... but it's still at the back of my mind. Then the summer holiday is booked and the inevitable bikini comes closer and I know that its definitely time to start eating fresh. 

I genuinely try to keep my eye on what I eat all year around as I do like to at least get in three out of my five a day, just because I like to think that I'm filling my body with some good nutrients. I'm still a slave to chocolate and cake, in fact I'm typing these words having just nibbled (scoffed) on an early Easter egg- I'm only human after all. This is why I'm so happy to have come across Nic's blog. With posts on healthy cakes- this is a girl after my own heart. I was directed to her blueberry banana oat muffins by a close friend and I felt it my duty to share!

• 2 bananas (mashed)
• A small punnet of blueberries
• 250g oats (half of which should be blended into 'oat flour')
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 185ml milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees
• Mix oats, oat flour, cinnamon and baking powder.
• Mix in the mashed bananas and then gently add in the blueberries taking care not to squash them.
• In a separate jug,  whisk together the milk, oil, eggs and honey. Then fold it into the dry mixture, ensuring that everything is coated.
• Place in the oven for around 25 minutes. Ensuring that these were cooked was a little trickier than with normal cakes as you cant just go with colour. Nic says to use a tooth pick and if it comes out clean it's fine. I used a knife as I was without a toothpick and that still worked fine.

These were really different to any cakes that I have made before. They received an overall positive reaction as they tasted great (even more so because I told people they were healthy) but the texture was a bit heavier than normal cakes and were described as a bit stodgy. I put that down to them being made out of oats though and would definitely recommend them as a great 'on the go' breakfast!