Name: Banana & mincemeat Loaf with cinnamon & cranberry cream cheese frosting
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 8 Slices
Ingredients: 1 Banana ((ripe)); 50 g Mincemeat; 1 Egg; 75 g Sugar ((Golden Caster)); 100 g Plain Flour; 1 tsb Baking Powder; 1/2 tsp Baking Soda; 30 g Dried Banana Chips; 25 g Butter ((softened butter)); 55 g Cream Cheese; 120 g Icing Sugar; 1 dsp Dried Cranberries; Pinch Ground Cinamon

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This banana & mincemeat loaf cake has no added fat, and is topped with a cinnamon & cranberry cream cheese frosting and is delicious alternative to the traditional Christmas cake

I was in France last weekend and completely missed Stir Up Sunday when people traditionally make their Christmas cakes and puddings. I do wonder how many people are organised enough to remember to make their cakes a month before Christmas, which brings the two-fold benefit that a matured cake or pudding simply tastes better, and getting any Christmas preparations out of the way before the start of December has to be a good thing.

This loaf cake is a twist on the classic banana bread, to which I added a dollop of mincemeat and a packet of Emily Banana Chips (more on them below) for that extra banana flavour. It is simply spread with a cinnamon and cranberry cream cheese frosted and decorated with some more banana chips and cranberries. Despite having no added fat this loaf is incredibly moist and soft. If truth be told the no added fat was an accident – Ed was remaking my original recipe to test it and forgot to add the melted butter – I think it is just as good as the original and with no butter in the cake you can add some extra frosting?

One of the things that I really love about loaf cakes is that they are all about the flavour, and not about the decoration, for more loaf cake inspiration you might like my sticky marmalade loaf cake or my Frozen Yogurt Cakes Two Ways!

4.89 from 17 votes

Banana & mincemeat Loaf with cinnamon & cranberry cream cheese frosting

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

45 mins

Total Time

1 hr

This banana & mincemeat loaf cake has no added fat, and is topped with a cinnamon & cranberry cream cheese frosting and is delicious alternative to the traditional Christmas cake

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: British

Servings: 8 Slices

Calories: 245 kcal

Author: Helen Best-Shaw

Ingredients

For the Cake

1 Banana (ripe)
50 g Mincemeat
1 Egg
75 g Sugar (Golden Caster)
100 g Plain Flour
1 tsb Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
30 g Dried Banana Chips

For the Frosting

25 g Butter (softened butter)
55 g Cream Cheese
120 g Icing Sugar
1 dsp Dried Cranberries
Pinch Ground Cinamon

Instructions

Cake

Heat your oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4.
Lightly grease a loaf tin with butter or margarine and line with non-stick baking parchment
Peel the banana and briefly mash with a fork. Don't worry about getting a smooth consistency - a few lumps add to the texture of the cake.
Add the egg and mincemeat to the banana, and mix together.
Add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and banana chips and fold in gently.
Spoon into the loaf tin and bake for about 40 minutes. To see if it's done, stick a cocktail stick or skewer into the middle of the cake. leave for 5 seconds and remove. If there's any batter on the skewer, cook for another 3 minutes. Repeat until the skewer comes out clean.

For the Frosting

Beat the butter with an electric mixer until soft and fluffy, slowly add the icing sugar and a spoonful of the cream cheese. Mix until smooth.
Gently stir in the remainder of the cream cheese, taking care not to over mix, stir in the cranberries and cinnamon.
If needed put the frosting in the fridge for 20 minutes to firm up a little.
Spread onto the cake and decorate with a few extra banana chips and cranberries.

Nutrition Facts

Banana & mincemeat Loaf with cinnamon & cranberry cream cheese frosting

Amount Per Serving

Calories 245 Calories from Fat 54

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 6g 9%

Saturated Fat 4g 20%

Cholesterol 34mg 11%

Sodium 166mg 7%

Potassium 115mg 3%

Total Carbohydrates 44g 15%

Dietary Fiber 1g 4%

Sugars 31g

Protein 2g 4%

Vitamin A 4.2%

Vitamin C 1.8%

Calcium 1.7%

Iron 4.4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

The banana chips I used from Emily Fruit Crisps are unlike any other, rather than being chewy dried fruit, they are genuine crisps, light, airy and oh-so-crunchy – as well as being packed with flavour. They are made with a specialised pressure cooking technique which inhibits the absorption of oil which means that the crisps are also really rather good for you (the apple and banana ones count as one of your 5 a day). The crisps really are something new and different and make a fantastic snack when the munchies strike in the middle of the afternoon, or to throw into my bag for a snack on a journey.

The fact they they have the most exquisite packaging is the icing on the cake with these crisps. Get them for £1.49 a bag from Waitrose, Ocado, Wholefoods, Selfridges and Holland & Barratt.