Banana cake is one of those dishes that is incredibly delicious but somewhat overdone. With this recipe you can achieve the same tasty fruit flavours but with a bit of a twist. Adding in some Greek-style yoghurt works so well for this recipe you’ll wonder why you’ve never tried it before. The walnuts on top are optional, but not only do they make the cake look even more pleasing to the eye but they also give it that bit of a crunch!

Ingredients

• 150g butter
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
• 1 cup Greek-style yoghurt
• 1 1/2 cups mashed over-ripe banana
• Chopped walnuts, to decorate
  Icing
• 250g packet light cream cheese
• 1/4 cup caster sugar
• 1/2 cup Greek-style yoghurt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180C. Grease and line a cake pan with baking paper. In a bowl, add margarine, sugar and vanilla. Beat with electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Beat in between each addition. Mix until combined. Sift in flour and bicarbonate of soda and stir. Add yoghurt and banana. Stir well to combine. Spoon into pan. Smooth over top. Bake for 60 minutes to 70 minutes until cooked through completely. 
2. Meanwhile, use an electric mixer to beat cream cheese and sugar together until mixture is light and fluffy. Fold in yoghurt.
3. Remove from oven. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire rack to cool completely. Spread icing generously over top. Top with walnuts. Serve.