I’ve recently decided to put my diet under the micropscope and make some changes to try and improve my health. As wheat free diets seem to be ‘in vogue’ it seemed like a reasonable place to start, however it presented me with one very big problem….. cakes! Now I appreciate that a health kick and cakes and biscuits for that matter might seem contradictory, but I am looking for a lifestyle change not a quick fix. So I think it would be unreasonable to expect I might not want the odd treat. So with this in mind I hunted out a wheat and gluten free cake recipe and I’m very pleased with the results. I thought I would share this recipe if any of you fancy giving it a go. I’ve also taste tested it with Abi and her son and there were smiles all round, so it gets a big thumbs up from all of us here.

From this

To this

Gluten Free Banana Loaf

Ingredients

110g/4oz sultanas

110g/4oz butter, softened

110g/4oz caster sugar

2 large eggs, preferably free range

3 large ripe bananas

175g/6oz fine rice flour

50g/2oz cornflour

2 tsp gluten-free baking power

1/2 tsp salt

1kg/2lb loaf tin, lined with baking parchment

Method

1.Preheat the oven 180C/350F/Gas 4

2.Cream the butter and sugar together until pale, light and soft. Add the eggs, one by one, and beat well.

3.Mash the bananas and add to the creamed mixture.

4.Sift the rice flour, cornflour, baking power, and salt together and fold carefully into the banana mixture. Very gently stir in the sultanas.

5.Put the mixture into the greased & lined loaf tin and bake in the oven for about 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hours until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

6.Remove the loaf from the tin and cool on a wire rack.