in the kitchen

An overripe banana is irresistible to me. It beckons to me with promises of muffins and banana cakes, pancakes and smoothies. A quick, easy one is Nigella's Banana Breakfast Ring. For some reason I think of this as a healthy option for the kids and often give it to them for, well, breakfast. Equipment-wise, all you need is a bowl and a fork, so that's a plus.

You will need:
400g (3 medium) bananas
60ml corn or other oil
3 eggs
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tsp vanilla extract
200g caster sugar
325g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Preheat the oven to 180C. Oil a 24cm ring mould. (I suppose you could bake it in a tin but it comes out looking somehow more impressive in a round.)

Mash your bananas, then whisk in the oil, eggs, lemon juice and zest and the vanilla extract with your fork. Then just fold in the flour, baking powder and bicarb and you're done with the hard stuff. I also threw in some chocolate chunks at the last minute since this cake was for tea, not breakfast.

Pour into your tin (well oiled or it will get stuck, like mine) and bake for 40 minutes, filling your kitchen with a delicious aroma all the while. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes, then turn your cake out.

I had a big bowl of raspberries I'd just picked, so I filled the centre and then drizzled the cake with some warm chocolate sauce I had left over from the kids' dessert last night.

Consume with gusto and have your kids declare it "delicious". Sit back and bask in the momentary glow of domestic goddesshood.