Banana skin cake

I came across this recipe a while ago and was intrigued. We recently had rather a lot of bananas (S+I both bought some at the same time), and I remembered about it, and decided to keep some out of the worm box and rather soak them for cake.

~4 banana skins, ends removed
water
ground linseed + boiling water (1 quantity = 1 tbsp linseed plus 2.5 tbsp boiling water)
sugar
veg oil
salt
self raising flour
yeast
cinnamon
lemon juice

Soak the banana skins in water for several days, changing the water every day, until they are soft and the water is clear (I soaked mine for 3-4 days).

Transfer the banana skins to a blender (with enough water to let it blend properly). Blend until smooth. It will be dark brown and murky. Strain, reserving both the thick puree and the thinner run-through liquid. Measure the puree (the ~4 banana skins I started with gave me 3/4 cup of puree).

Heat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl, per 1 cup of puree, add 1 quantity linseed mixture, 3/4 cup sugar, 1/2 cup oil and 1 tsp salt. Beat until well incorporated. Add 1 cup of flour and 1 tbsp yeast (per 1 cup banana skin puree), and mix until just combined. Transfer the batter to prepared cake (or muffin) tin (I made muffin size, as it makes it easier to freeze and defrost portions). Bake for 30-40 min (baking time will depend on size of cake(s)), until a skewer comes out clean and it looks done.

To make a glaze from the reserved liquid, measure the volume in cups. For every cup, add 1 cup sugar. Put sugar and liquid into a saucepan. Add 1/2 tsp cinnamon, a pinch of salt, and a few drops of lemon juice. Simmer for 10-20 min, stirring occasionally, until it is reduced by about half and thickened. It will be quite thick, but smooth, and dark brown.


I didn't really think this would be any good - made it more out of curiosity and as an exercise in using stuff up - but it is good. It's like a sticky toffee pudding, with the sauce and everything. The cakes are dense and taste rich and toffee-y (note: I used plain flour instead of SR - perhaps they would have been fluffier if I'd remembered to add baking powder). Ugly though: dark brown cake and dark brown sauce. Additions of crystallised ginger or raisins or spices might be good. I might also try using the puree similarly to pumpkin puree in other recipes.