Carrot, Walnut and Cardamom Loaf Cake

So what's in a name?  I put together this loaf cake from a range of ingredients, partly with an eye to using up a lone banana but also because I was inspired by a recent trip to Turkey.  We stayed in the most adorable boutique hotel in Ephesus, where there was fruit in glowing heaps available all day, and, at tea time, little cakes would appear (and disappear!).  The most delicious banana, walnut and carrot cake made an appearance, so I've attempted to recreate the cake as my thanks and homage to the staff of the Cella Hotel, Ephesus, who made us feel so welcome.

Banana and Walnut Loaf Cake

Carrot, Walnut and Cardamom Loaf Cake

2oz finely chopped walnuts

2oz carrot, grated or blitzed with the walnuts

1 tsp cardamom pods (or ½ tsp seeds)

3oz/75g butter at room temperature

6oz/150g soft brown sugar

3 eggs, beaten

1 ripe banana, mashed

6oz/150g self-raising flour

1tsp baking powder

Zest of a lemon

Preheat the oven to 170 deg C and line a large loaf tin with baking parchment. 

If you have a small magimix/mini chopper, cut the carrots into rings and blitz with the walnuts so you have small pieces but don’t go so far that they become dust!  Break the cardamom seeds out of their pods (discard the pods) and grind the little seeds with a pestle and mortar. 

Beat together the sugar and butter, then add the eggs, a little at a time, plus a tablespoon of flour every time to stop it from curdling.  Add the banana.   Fold in the walnut and carrot mix, the cardamom and lemon zest, then the flour and baking powder. 

Tip it all into the baking tin and bake in the centre of the oven for about ¾ hour or longer – until a heated knife or skewer comes out clean.  You will probably need to put a little hat of foil on the top to stop it from burning. 

Cool slightly in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack.