A banana bread cake in a creamy, passion fruit icing, and a sweet loaf to enjoy toasted with an autumnal side of roast plums y mum had been banging on about this cake for a while – it’s one she reminisces about eating during her glamour days, when she […]
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A banana bread cake in a creamy, passion fruit icing, and a sweet loaf to enjoy toasted with an autumnal side of roast plums
y mum had been banging on about this cake for a while – it’s one she reminisces about eating during her glamour days, when she stumbled into a job on Park Lane and would go to Richoux tea rooms on her break. After a lot of back and forth, it turns out that the cake is called passion cake, yet it doesn’t contain any passion fruit. My mum loves passion fruit, though, so I thought, why not put it in the icing? The creme fraiche loaf, meanwhile, holds up beautifully and also freezes very well. Serve it by the slice, gently toasted and buttered, with the best seasonal fruit you can find, though I urge you to try this plum and pistachio cream version.
Creme fraiche loaf, roast plums and pistachio cream (pictured top)
Prep 25 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Makes 1 x 900g loaf
For the loaf
6 eggs, lightly beaten
320g caster sugar
180g creme fraiche
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 large orange (you need 40ml juice)
70g unsalted butter, melted
330g plain flour
1 scant tsp baking powder (4g)1 large pinch fine salt (1g)
For the plum and pistachio cream
4 plums
30g caster sugar
200g double cream
2 tbsp pistachio praline paste
1 tbsp honey
1 pinch sea salt flakes
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line the base and sides of a 900g loaf tin with baking paper.
Gently whisk the eggs and sugar – by hand is fine, because we are not trying to create volume, but just to combine them.
In a separate bowl, whisk the creme fraiche, orange zest and juice, and melted butter, then stir into the whisked egg mix to combine.
In another bowl, stir the flour, baking powder and salt, then add to the batter and whisk to make sure it’s all well incorporated.
Pour into the lined loaf tin and bake for 50 minutes. Turn the cake around in the oven, then bake for 25 minutes more, or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove and leave to cool in the tin.
Cut the plums in half, remove and discard the stones and arrange the fruit in a roasting tin. Sprinkle over the sugar and roast for 10-15 minutes, until the plums have softened and their skin has blistered. Remove and leave to cool.
To make the pistachio cream, whip the cream to soft peaks, then add the pistachio praline paste, honey and salt, and whisk gently until everything comes together.
Toast slices of the creme fraiche loaf on a hot griddle, and serve buttered with the roast plums and pistachio cream on the side. Joyous.
Passion cake
The smooth and tasty icing is easy to put together when in a rush. Just be careful not to over-beat the cream cheese, or it will turn into unsalvageable slop. My mum loves icing, and would prefer me to double the amount here, so it covers the sides of the cake. I disagree and like that thing called “balance”, so I stick with a single batch, but it’s not about being right, it’s about being kind, so by all means go for it.
Prep 45 min
Cook 35 min
Makes 1 x 20cm cake
For the cake
50g walnuts
2 eggs, lightly beaten
260g light brown sugar
½ tsp fine salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp baking powder
150g plain flour
100g wholemeal flour
260ml neutral oil
1 ripe banana
190g grated carrot
A few drops orange blossom water
For the icing
75g unsalted butter, softened
45g caster sugar
1 pinch sea salt flakes
320g cream cheese, at room temperature
1 passion fruit
2 tbsp icing sugar
Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 and line two 20cm cake tins with baking paper. Spread out the walnuts on a baking tray and toast in the oven for 12–15 minutes, stirring halfway. Leave to cool, then crush and set aside.
Whisk the eggs and sugar in a stand mixer on a medium speed until pale, thick and fluffy. In a bowl, mix the salt, ground spices, both raising agents and both flours.
Slowly pour the oil into the egg mixture, feeding it in bit by bit and making sure it’s fully incorporated before adding any more. Mash the banana with a fork, then stir into the egg mixture. Add the dry ingredients, mix well until fully incorporated, then stir in the carrot, crushed walnuts and orange blossom water. Divide the mixture between the prepared tins and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tins.
For the icing, beat the butter and caster sugar for a few minutes until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the salt and cream cheese, and beat for a few minutes more, until it just comes together (do not over-mix).
Scrape out the seeds and juice from the passion fruit and tip into the mixer. Sift in the icing sugar and beat again quickly, until combined.
Use the icing immediately, or pop it in the fridge until you are ready to spread it in between and on top of the cooled cakes. The cake will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for three days.
Recipes extracted from Sugar, I Love You: Knockout Recipes to Celebrate the Sweeter Things in Life, by Ravneet Gill, published on 14 October by Pavilion Books at £20. To pre-order a copy for £17.40, go to guardianbookshop.com
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