RAFA Rides: try Matt Tebbutt’s banana bread for an energy boost
As RAFA Rides prepares to cycle around the world, we’re highlighting one of our supporters a little closer to home and their twist on banana bread.
With just a month to go until our annual cycling challenge, RAFA Rides, kindly supported by Lockheed Martin UK, we thought you’d appreciate a sweet treat to keep your energy levels up – banana bread. Matt Tebbutt, from BBC One’s Saturday Kitchen has shared a recipe with us. It is great if you’re in the saddle, have stopped for a cuppa or are recovering on the sofa. It’s also great if you would just like a piece of cake!
Matt said: “Good luck with the training for RAFA Rides 2021 you are all doing fantastically! The Association really appreciates your support and I want to pass on their thanks. I am sorry I won’t be able to join you on the day as I will be filming Saturday Kitchen; however, I will be cycling over the weekend and I will be joining you virtually to wish you luck. I thought you may need a boost to help you through the last month so why not try my instant coffee banana bread, a tasty reward for all those miles!!”
Matt has donned his cycling jersey and will be joining our collective effort to cycle the circumference of the globe with teams from around the world. He wants to support every one of our cyclists, and while baking 600 banana breads may be overambitious, we hope you are able to make Matt’s instant coffee banana bread recipe below. Stock up on your carbs and get a caffeine kick at the same time!
We’d love to see your efforts, so please share your RAFA Rides banana bread baking endeavours on either Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #RAFARidesEats – don’t forget to tag the RAF Association and Matt Tebbutt too.
Instant Coffee Banana Bread
Preparation time: less than 30 mins
Cooking time: 30 mins to 1 hour
Serves: Serves 6–8
Dietary: Vegetarian
By Matt Tebbutt
INGREDIENTS
3 very ripe bananas, peeled and roughly chopped
110g/3¾oz caster sugar (or soft light or dark brown sugar)
2 free-range eggs, beaten
1 tbsp instant coffee, dissolved in small amount boiling water, or 1 espresso shot
Pinch nutmeg (or cinnamon or 1 tbsp finely chopped stem ginger)
Pinch of salt
85g/3oz unsalted butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
225g/8oz self-raising flour (or use 225g/8oz plain flour and 1 tbsp baking powder)
100g/3½oz chocolate, broken into small pieces (optional)
METHOD
- Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5 and grease a 1 litre/1¾ pint loaf tin (or similar-sized round or square cake tin).
- Mash the bananas in a bowl with the sugar, eggs, coffee, nutmeg and salt until everything is thoroughly combined. Stir in the butter, flour and chocolate, if using. Pour into the tin and bake for 50 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly in the tin. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely and then serve in slices.
