Rambler's banana, honey and cardamon cake

My eldest stepson and his wife are great walkers, members of a Ramblers Club, and whenever they come over to lunch to our house, are only too pleased to get any more energetic members of our family out on a brisk walk after lunch. Olga is vegetarian and they are both very interested in Fair Trade causes, so I was delighted to receive this recipe from them just in time for our Christmas edition. The recipe was originally given to them by Fiona Beckett. It really is very good!

Ingredients
2 medium sized but not over-ripe 'Fair Trade' bananas. 150-175 g  (5-6 oz) peeled weight.
110g (4 oz) of orange blossom or other fragrant clear honey
15 green cardamon pods
250g (9 oz) self raising flour
175g (7 oz) butter, diced
75g (3 oz) golden castor sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons sour cream
1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda
a pinch of salt

You will need a 7x7in (18x18cm) square cake tin, 21/2 in (6cm) deep, highly greased with the base lined with baking parchment.

Method
Preheat the oven to 170oC (325oF or Gas Mark 3). Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl. Crush the cardamon pods. Discard the green husks and seeds in a pestle and mortar or with the end of a rolling pin.  Now mash the bananas thoroughly. Put the diced butter in with the sugar into a pan. Add the honey and heat gently until the butter has melted, the honey liquified and the sugar dissolved.
Remove from heat.

Add the mashed bananas and mix thoroughly, then add the eggs and sour cream, then crushed cardamon and flour is added. Beat well to ensure all the ingredients are thoroughly mixed in. Now pour the mixture into the prepared tin and place some banana chips in rows on the top of the cake. Bake in the oven for 60-70 minutes. Insert a skewer into the centre to check it is cooked. It should come out clean. When it is cooked, remove from  the oven and let it cool in the tin for 15 minutes. Then turn it out onto a tray. When it is completely cold, wrap in tin foil tightly.

Ann Way