Banana Skin Cake

If you don't already know, I love baking with bananas. I've made banana breads, cakes, loafs, cookies, pancakes, muffins and even a hot chocolate drink with bananas! You name it, I've probably tried it. So when I came across this recipe for banana skin cake from one of my all time favourite food blogs Not Quite Nigella, I immediately bookmarked it to make. I have baked with citrus peel previously - oranges, clementines and lemons but never with bananas. I was intrigued and excited to try out this recipe. Note the pictures below are not very pretty so look away now if you have an aversion to brown banana skins in water! 

I have to admit I was a little skeptical at first and not really sure if anyone would eat it. So I offered the cake without telling people what it was made from. Most responses were positive but when I said it was made from banana skin there were a few faces pulled!! I honestly really liked the taste of this cake. I ate a whole mini loaf myself as it was so delicious!! The best way I can describe it is that it tastes like bread pudding. There is no banana taste at all. It also tastes "healthy" if that makes sense and it's full of fibre! Take a chance, give it a try as I have and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I have. To quote Edna Toledo , originator of the recipe -  "it is luxury made from rubbish" 

I am submitting this to Made with love Mondays hosted by Javelin Warrior from Cookin w/ Luv, where the idea is to make something completely from scratch. I don't think you can get more basic than banana skin!! 

I am also sending this to No Waste Food Challenge hosted by Turquoise Lemons as the theme for this month is bananas. 

Finally, I am submitting this to Bookmarked recipes hosted by Jacqueline from Tinned Tomatoes.

 soak banana skins in water

 day 1 

 day 2 

 day 3 - it's ready as the water is clear! yes it works!! 

 strain the puree but keep the fluid!

 ready to go in the oven

For the cake
4 banana skins
3/4 cup water
1 egg
170g caster sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup vegetable oil
125g plain flour
7g yeast

For the glaze
sugar
cinnamon
salt

• Prepare the banana skins but cutting off the ends and soaking them in water. 
• Change the water daily until the water is clear and the banana skins are soft (Mine took 3 days).
• Blitz the softened banana skins in a food processor with 3/4 cup of water.
• Strain through a fine sieve and keep the fluid for the glaze. 
• Measure the amount of banana skin puree into a cup - I got 1 cup for mine.
• With every cup of puree, add 1 egg, 170g caster sugar, 1/2 cup vegetable oil and 1 teaspoon of salt and mix well. 
• Add 125g flour and 7g yeast (per cupful of banana puree).
• Preheat the oven to 180C.
• Pour the batter into cake tins and bake for approximately 35-45 minutes (depends on size of cake tin used). Check after 30 minutes by inserting a skewer into the middle - it should come out clean.
• Allow the cake to cool on a wire rack.
• To make the glaze, measure the strained liquid from the banana puree (I got 1/2 cup from mine).
• For every cup, add 1 cup of sugar to the liquid in a medium sized saucepan.
• Add some cinnamon and a pinch of salt.
• Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Continue stirring as the glaze gets quite sticky. Mine took about 20 minutes to become a thick glaze.