Melted butter banana cake for busy days

It is very clear that I haven’t had time to write for the blog – well, I haven’t had time to cook or bake, really (and all that makes me really sad).

For days like these, when there is barely any time to play around in the kitchen or to write a blog post (type recipes, edit photos and translate them for my other blog), I bring you this banana cake: it is delicious, the recipe is put together in no time at all and since the butter is melted you don’t even have to wait for it to soften. Very quick, very good – exactly what I need nowadays.

Melted butter banana cake
slightly adapted from Dan Lepard

175g granulated sugar
finely grated zest of 1 orange
200g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
250g all purpose flour
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
250g very ripe bananas, mashed with a fork
3 teaspoon baking powder
pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F. Lightly butter an 6-cup capacity loaf pan and line it with baking paper, buttering it as well.

Place the sugar and orange zest in a large mixing bowl and rub together with your fingertips until sugar is perfumed. Stir in the butter, then beat in 100g of the flour until smooth. Add the eggs one by one, beating each one in well before adding the next, then mix in the juice, vanilla and banana. Sift in the remaining flour, baking powder and salt, and stir until smooth.

Spoon the mixture into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60-65 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer pulls out with only a few crumbs sticking to it, it's done.

Serves 6-8