Banana cake with coffee icing

Bananas are plentiful at the moment and I have a bench full that are getting very ripe, very quickly. This recipe is very moist and quite different to my banana bread recipe which is much more dense.  I am not a coffee drinker but I think a milk coffee icing goes perfectly with this cake.

Enjoy,
Amanda

Banana cake with coffee icing

• 125g butter, softened
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 large bananas (mashed)
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 3/4 cups self-raising flour

Coffee icing

• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1 1/2 Tbspn boiling water
• 2 cups icing sugar, sifted
• 1 Tbspn butter, softened

• 1/4 cup toasted coconut (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C.  Grease a 20cm round cake tin.

2. In a small bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.

3. Add eggs and beat well.

4. Add milk and bananas and beat until combined.

5. Sift in bi-carb and flour and fold through.

6. Pour into cake tin and bake for 40 - 45 mins or until cooked through.  If cake is browning too quickly, cover with a sheet of baking paper to prevent the top from burning.

7. Remove from oven and leave in tin for 5 mins.  Turn out onto wire rack to cool.

Icing

8.  Dissolve coffee in boiling water.  Add to a small bowl with icing sugar and butter.  Beat until smooth.  Spread over cake and top with toasted coconut.

Classic lasagne

This is my favourite go to recipe when entertaining lots of people as it stretches a long way when served with garlic bread and salad.  I have used it at many of our Christmas lunches, 21st celebrations and anytime when I am having lots of people over. It can all be prepared ahead of time so you don't have to waste time cooking when you have guests.

I first cook up a huge pot of bolognaise sauce and split it into 3 portions.   We usually eat one and freeze the other 2 for a later date.  I use one portion for the lasagne recipe below.

I hope you enjoy it,
Amanda






CLASSIC LASAGNE

• 1 ½ pkts dried lasagne sheets
• 1 ½ litres bolognaise sauce (refer below)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 40g ham, roughly chopped
• 1 ½ cups grated cheese

Cheese sauce

• 100g butter
• 4 Tbspn plain flour
• 2 cups milk
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup grated cheese

Cheese sauce

1. In a large microwave bowl, melt butter on high for 30 secs.

2. Whisk in flour & milk & microwave on high for 4 mins. Whisk until sauce thickens.

3. Whisk in salt & grated cheese.

Assembly of lasagne

4. In a large, deep baking dish, add 1 ladle of bolognaise sauce & spread to cover the base.

5. Place 1 layer of lasagne sheets, covering the entire base. Don’t overlap lasagne sheets.

6. Add 2 ladles of bolognaise sauce & 1 ladle of cheese sauce & cover the lasagne sheets.

7. Repeat step 5 & 6 until you have put down 4 layers of lasagne sheets.

8. Top with remaining bolognaise & cheese sauce. Pour over beaten egg & spread over lasagne.
Sprinkle with chopped ham & top with cheese.

9. Cover & refrigerate or freeze until required.

Cooking

10. Preheat oven to 180oC. Cook, covered in preheated oven for 30 mins. Uncover & cook for
a further 10 mins. Let sit for 10 mins prior to serving. This is important as the lasagne will be sloppy if you don't let it rest prior to serving.





Rich Italian bolognaise (bulk recipe)
Preparation time: 20 mins
Cooking time: 1 hr

Serves 3 meals for a large family

• 2 Tbspn olive oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1kg lean beef mince
• 2 x 500g bottles tomato paste (I use Leggo’s)
• 2 x 500g bottles of prepared pasta sauce (your choice)
• 1.2 litres water
• 2 tsp mixed herbs
• 2 Tbspn basil leaves, torn (optional)
• 1 Tbspn sugar
• 1 ½ tsp salt

1. In a VERY large pot (5 litres) over medium heat, add oil & fry onion & garlic until soft.

2. Add mince & cook until slightly brown. Break up lumps with the wide end of a whisk if necessary.

3. Add tomato paste, pasta sauce & water. Stir to combine.

4. Add mixed herbs, basil, sugar & salt.  Mix well.

5. Bring to the boil then reduce to a low simmer for 1 to 2 hrs. The longer the cooking time, the better. Stir occasionally so mixture doesn’t burn.

6. Turn off heat & leave in the pot to allow the flavours to further develop. Serve with spaghetti.

Tips: This recipe makes approx. 4 ½ litres of sauce & can be separated into freezer & microwave safe containers for storage. The quantity of sauce needed for each meal depends on the size of your family so freeze in suitable portions. As a guide, a lasagne uses 1 ½ litres of sauce & spaghetti bolognaise (to feed 5 adults) will use 1 ½ litres of sauce. This recipe will make approx. 3 meals for a large family.

Storage: - In fridge, covered & stored for up to 3 days.
               - Freeze, in microwave safe containers for up to 4 months. Thaw in fridge, then reheat in the                  microwave.