Mary Berry Banana Bread with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Caroline Sciberras
This mouthwatering dessert brings together the sweetness of ripe bananas, a hint of warm cinnamon, and the tanginess of cream cheese icing. With its moist texture and heavenly flavours, this Mary Berry Banana Cake is a surefire crowd-pleaser that will leave everyone asking for seconds.
Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 40 minutes mins
Course Bread/Dessert
Cuisine American, British
Servings 10 portions
Calories 452.5 kcal
- 225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour
- 100 g (4 oz) of butter, cubed
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 225 g (8 oz) light muscovado sugar
- 1 lemon grated zest
- 2 small peeled bananas mashed with a fork
- 2 eggs beaten
For the Cream Cheese Icing
- 100 g (4 oz) butter, softened
- 150 g (5 oz) full-fat cream cheese
- 150 g (5 oz) icing sugar, sifted
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
- a few banana chips or slices to decorate
Grease two 450g (1lb) loaf tins and line their bases with a strip of baking paper.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F) / 160°C fan (320°F) / Gas 4.
Place the flour into a mixing bowl and add the butter.
Incorporate the butter into the flour using your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs (you can also use a food processor).
Add the cinnamon, sugar, and lemon zest to the mixture and stir well.
Combine the mashed bananas with the flour mixture, and then add the beaten egg.
Thoroughly mix the ingredients until well combined, then divide the batter between the prepared loaf tins and level the surface.
Bake for about 30–35 minutes or until the cakes are golden and have risen
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then turn out.
Remove the baking paper, and move to a wire rack.
To make the icing
Beat the butter until smooth.
Gradually beat in the cream cheese until well combined.
Add the sifted icing sugar and a pinch of cinnamon. Beat well until smooth.
Cover the cakes with cream cheese frosting.
Decorate with banana slices or chips.
- Use ripe, spotty bananas for maximum sweetness and flavor. If you have a ripe banana you can freeze it with the flesh to use for banana cake later.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before applying the cream cheese icing to prevent melting.
- For added spice, add a dash of nutmeg or allspice to the cake batter.
- Make sure the cream cheese and butter are softened to room temperature before preparing the icing for a smooth texture.
- Experiment with different fruit chips or chopped nuts as alternative cake toppings.
- Freeze one loaf for another time for up to 2 months wrapped in greaseproof paper though the cake keeps well in a cake tin for up to 1 week.
- Leave the cake plain or ice it with this cream cheese frosting.