Super simple Banana Cake

This is a super easy, fail-proof and speedy recipe. You can whip up a cake in no time for breakfast, brunch or tea!

Ingredients: (10 slices)
2 eggs
150 g of cane sugar
150 g of sweet melted butter
3 bananas cut in round shapes + 1 whole
100 g of nuts cut in half and chopped
170 g of flour
1 full teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Preparations: 
Preheat oven to 200°C
1.) Mix all the ingredients with an electric whip during 4 minutes, leave out the whole banana and the brown sugar
2.) Pour the preparation in the mould.
3.) Cut the whole banana in 3 to 4 slivers lengthwise and place it on the batter.
4.) Sprinkle with brown sugar.
5.) Cook for 70 minutes

Allow to cool for 10 minutes before unmoulding. Serve tepid or cold.

English Apple Cake

Nothing beats a homemade apple cake with chunks of sweet fruit. Try this hearty recipe and surprise your kids with a scrumptious afternoon tea treat when they arrive home after school.

Ingredients:
225r self-raising flour
2 tsp ground cinnamon
115r unsalted butter, diced and chilled, plus extra for greasing
115r light brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
6-8 tbsp milk
225r Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and diced
100gr raisins
2 tbsp brown sugar with some cinnamon (optional)

Preparation:
Heat the oven to 180C.
1.) Grease and line a deep 20cm cake tin with baking paper.
2.) Mix the flour and cinnamon together in a large bowl.
3.) Add the butter and rub into the flour using your fingers, until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
4.) Stir in the light brown sugar.
5.) Beat in the egg followed by 6 - 8 tbsp of milk – you want to achieve a smooth, thick batter.
6.) Add the apples and raisins and mix to combine.
7.) Scrape the batter into your prepared tin and gently level out.
8.) Sprinkle over the brown sugar and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for 15 minutes and then carefully turn out onto a wire rack to cool further. Best served still warm with a little custard.

Spaghetti & Meatball muffins

How about turning an Italian dish into an American treat that your kids will love? My Neapolitan husband claims the idea of spaghetti and meatballs in itself is an American invention therefore... at this point... anything goes. YEHAY!

Follow this simple recipe for super-cool Spaghetti & Meatball muffins:

Ingredients:
170g spaghetti
1½ tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups parmesan cheese, grated
1½ cups tomato based pasta sauce
12 cooked meatballs
½ cup basil, roughly chopped
cooking spray

Preparations:
Preheat oven to 190C.
1.) Cook spaghetti NOT following packet directions, drain when every AL DENTE and allow to cool.
2.) Spray 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.
3.) Pour 1 cup cheese into spaghetti pan and toss.
3b) You might wish to add an egg for the nests to better stick together.
4.) Divide spaghetti between the 12 muffin cups, arranging spaghetti to make a nest.
5.) Top each nest with 1 tablespoon of pasta sauce, a meatball, another tablespoon pasta sauce.
6.) Sprinkle each with parmesan cheese.
7.) Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes or until cheese has melted.
8.) Cool slightly before eating, garnish with a chopped basil.