makes
8
prep
20 minutes
cook
45 minutes
difficulty
Easy
makes
8
serves
preparation
20
minutes
cooking
45
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 1 medium orange sweet potato (about 350 g), peeled and cut into 4 cm pieces
- 200 g mashed overripe banana (about two medium bananas; see Note)
- 285 g (1 ¼ cups) caster sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) buttermilk
- 2 tbsp rum
- 125 ml (½ cup) vegetable oil
- 2 eggs, beaten well
- 300 g (2 cups) plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp each ground cinnamon and ginger
- large pinch ground cloves
- 110 g (⅔ cup) roasted unsalted peanuts
- 75 g (⅓ cup) demerara sugar, or to taste
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 170°C.
Cook the sweet potato in a steamer over boiling water for 15 minutes or until very tender. Cool to room temperature then, using a potato masher, mash the sweet potato until smooth.
Measure 250 g (1 cup) of the sweet potato, reserving any that remains for another use. Place in a large bowl with the banana, sugar, buttermilk, rum, oil and eggs and beat to combine well.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarb soda and spices into a bowl then add to the banana mixture and, using a wooden spoon, stir until smooth. Divide the mixture among the holes of an 8-hole (150 ml capacity each), non-stick mini-loaf pan, smoothing the surface of each even.
Scatter the peanuts and demerara sugar over the top. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until deep golden: turn the tray around in the oven after 20 minutes so the breads cook evenly.
Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Breads are best served on the day of making but will keep, stored in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. They can also be frozen for up to 12 weeks.
Note
• A medium banana yields 100 g of mashed flesh so let that be a rough guide if you don’t have scales. (Get some scales!). It won't matter too much if you are 20 g or so over the mark anyway - simple recipes like this do have a little wiggle room.
Photography by Alan Benson, styling by Sarah O'Brien and food preparation by Tina Mcleish.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
