Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for banana and passion fruit loaf

I’m pretty sure we’ve all got at least one solid banana bread recipe up our sleeve. My go-to is dense, barely sweet and at its best when toasted and smothered in salted butter. But the version I’m sharing today is for when I need something that’s more cake than bread: a bit sweeter, fluffier and topped with a creamy icing studded with lots of passion fruit to brighten it up. I still make it in a loaf tin, but it also works in a 20cm square tin.

Banana and passion fruit loaf

Prep 20 min
Cook 50 min
Serves 8
3 eggs
130g caster sugar
100g unsalted butter, melted
20ml oil
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
2 very ripe bananas (about 200-230g), peeled and mashed
190g plain flour
2 tsp baking powder
A pinch of salt

For the icing
80g softened unsalted butter
140g icing sugar
120g cream cheese
3 ripe passion fruit, pulp and seeds scooped out

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4, and grease and line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin.

Put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk for one to two minutes, until thickened and pale. Mix in the melted butter, oil, vanilla and mashed banana. Stir in the dry ingredients, mix gently to combine, then pour the batter into the prepared tin.

Bake for 50-55 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean, then remove and leave to cool completely while you make the topping.

Beat the butter for a minute or two, until creamy. Add the icing sugar and beat again until smooth and pale. Mix in the cream cheese, beating until it’s fully incorporated, then stir in half the passion fruit pulp and seeds. Spoon the icing on top of the cooled cake, swirl in the remaining passion fruit pulp, then slice and serve.