Dear Readers. I have a secret. Well not anymore really ..maybe I shouldn’t post this at all as next year I might miss out.. hmm.. well I am sure there is enough to go round…. I digress… so you know everyone buys mincemeat for Christmas? ….
…Well after all the tinsel is packed away, the stray confetti occasionally showing its shiny face and you kinda know deep down that you should be looking at healthy recipes but secretly still eating the last of the endless tin of chocolates, there is normally a lot of mincemeat leftover… and if you are eagle eyed like me then you might just pick up a bargain – I managed to get 4 jars of mincemeat for a paltry 10p a jar!
I love the stuff and could eat it all year round happily but mince pies in January feels a little bit wrong, however there is so much more you can do with it! And this gorgeous cake is no exception. B gave it 8/10 and had a wedge and seconds of it, I agree and if I had to change anything I might add a cheeky jot of rum or something like amaretto to finish it off! Saying that we both just thought a little stem ginger wouldn’t go amiss – I can see the next version being concocted soon! Custard is an excellent accompaniment!
Bananas may be a bit of a surprise ingredient but I bake with them a lot and it helps add moisture and keep the cake that way for a few days – we are having family over later in the week and wanted to get ahead! (despite B’s best efforts to demolish it!) Also the bananas were about to march their own way out of the fruit bowl so was high time they got disposed of well!
Ingredients
I tsp vanilla extract
150g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
120g golden caster sugar
2 medium eggs (approx 120g)
120g soft margarine/ butter
2 tbsp flaked almonds
2 heaped tbsp + 100g mincemeat
2 heaped tbsp cocoa powder
2 small very ripe bananas, mashed
Beat the sugar and butter until fluffy, beat in the eggs, banana and vanilla, stir through the 2 tbsp of mincemeat. Fold in the flour, cocoa and baking powder and mix until fully combined and you have a light batter
Place the 100g of mincemeat in a microwaveable bowl and warm to melt the goo. Scatter the almonds over the bottom of a lined sandwich pan, and sprinkle over the melted mincemeat evenly.
Top with the batter and bake for 45-50 minutes at 180o or until cooked through and a skewer comes away clean.
Allow to cool for 15 minutes in the tine, then carefully turn onto your serving plate:
And after a gentle press all over, peel away very carefully the liner – use a fork to push back any rogue almonds!
And voila! The picture doesn’t really do it justice but it was beautifully glossy on top!
Enjoy!
