Racing with Banana Almond Cakes for the Egg and Spoon
I know. I’m not the biggest fan of cake. But suddenly remembering late on Saturday morning I’d promised to make a cake by noon for our daughters’ school Sports Day it was time for quick action. Oh-là-là. We’d scoffed the last batch of macarons and there were none left in our freezer ‘bank’ (*eye-roll*: it’s that macaron ghost-eater again.) With 3 ripe bananas just pleading to be mashed, I couldn’t resist altering a classic banana cake to mini cakes resembling more of a buttery almond French financier.
We’re having an identity crisis here: are we cakes or financiers?
Whatever they are, they pack a sweet boost to take on typical British sports day events: the sack race, three-legged race, tug-of-war and Lucie’s favourite, the egg and spoon race. Last year she raced home beaming with bronze and when she told her French grandparents the news, they were a little confused. ‘You were running with an egg? An egg on a spoon? In a race? Really that’s un oeuf…’
What’s so wrong with running and juggling an egg on a spoon? We do it every day of our lives, don’t we?
Recipe: Banana, Almond and Chocolate Chip Mini Cakes
Makes enough for a silicone mould of 12 mini cakes or 24 mini muffin moulds.
Wildly adapted from the banana cake recipe from Hachette’s mini book of Cakes by Catherine Moreau.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes
150g plain flour
120g ground almonds
100g sugar
1 heaped tsp baking powder
100g dark chocolate chips
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 eggs
2 egg whites
3 ripe bananas
150g melted butter
2 tbsp flaked almonds for sprinkling
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Mix together all the dry ingredients above, except the flaked almonds. Mash the bananas with a fork and gradually add them into the mix followed by the eggs and melted butter.
2. Pour the mixture into silicone moulds (about 3/4, not fully to the top) and sprinkle with the flaked almonds.
3. Bake for 20 minutes for the smaller cakes and for slightly larger cake moulds, 25-30 minutes.
4. Once cooled slightly, turn the cakes out on to a wire tray.
Eye Twitching Syndrome Version: Use 50g chocolate chips and add 100g chopped, dried apricots.
Have you ever had an eyelid that twitches uncontrollably? Feeling stressed, anxious and with an eyelid that couldn’t stop flickering recently, my opthamologist suggested adding bananas and dried apricots to a daily diet. So much for expensive magnesium supplements: a banana and some dried apricots a day keeps the eye twitch at bay!
I’ll leave you with a glimpse of the view next to the sports ground where their races took place last weekend. Isn’t it so peaceful on the River Seine?
Barges on the River Seine
OK, let’s get back to running with that egg on a spoon and find a good balance.
You could pick me up with a spoon with all your sweet and encouraging comments that you leave here. Thank you for your motivation to keep running le blog.
P.S. Congratulations to Choclette who was the lucky winner to receive chocolate earrings in the Mad About Macarons Giveaway!
These sound delicious Jill :)! So perfect to serve with the kids at the sports day! Even if you are not a big fan of cake, you are certainly good at making delicious ones! One of my favorite cakes to make contains banana and almonds, it is such a wonderful combo.
Wow aren’t you lucky you have a doctor that’s willing to prescribe a natural remedy than just offer pills. I’d never heard of this remedy before but will remember it if my eyes start twitching. Sounds like you need some R&R, less stress and maybe less time in front of the monitor. Sometimes I feel like I’m going blind from looking at the screen. We all need a break now and then.
These little cakes look delish! With all the ingredients on hand I may need to make these before my bananas go bad. Thanks for sharing.
Vicki, it’s unusual for more natural remedies since normally the French doctors prescribe tons of pills, potions and suppositories for even sore throats! You’re so right about needing less time in front of the computer; that’s why I’m on it very little these days and it’s helping. Look after your eyes, please!
Jill, I also have the mini cake pans for these yummy little jewels, and my recipe is quite similar to yours, (except for the 2 egg whites)… the only thing is that I need to add the almonds to it, and try it with the added egg whites. Looks delicious, and I’m sure it was a huge success!
Yes, the addition of the whites and the almonds makes them more like financiers in style, but they’re still pretty easy little cakes!
Oooooh! I could rock an egg and spoon race back in the day. It was a must-play at vacation bible school ever summer 🙂 These little almond cakes look lovely. Hard to believe they were your ‘quick’ fix!
I have a few quick fixes since butter, ground almonds, flour, eggs are always one of the sweet essentials in my kitchen stock!
I’m looking at 3 ripe bananas right now which is next to my face (in the kitchen). I have everything even the ground almonds. If I get to have time in the morning… I may try. Let’s hope my kids won’t need bananas for cereal in the morning. 😀 Your photos look so good. It’s hard to miss it!
Thanks, Nami. Photos are kind of big with this new layout, aren’t they? But having fun with it. Let’s hope you don’t drive your kids bananas.
Honestly I love this newer design with bigger photos. Each image is very tempting and you have great pictures, Jill.
By the way, my kids ate those 2 bananas next morning (arh!), so I bought new ones waited a little bit and just made it last night.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good. I have several left for today’s tea time. I already ate more than enough. See, baking is scary Jill. I’m out of control. Going to send you a picture of my mini muffins via email. 🙂
Now that is the most amazing compliment, Nami, when you’ve made them too. I am so glad you enjoyed them. See? Out of control? Wonderful 🙂 Can’t wait to see your pic. Merci xo
Wow!
Those cakes look too good…
I cannot help but crave to take a bite of those little beauties.
I’ll have to make them then! (My challenge of the day)
I can assure you: no challenge is needed here! Easy peasy.
Thanks so much for this recipe Jill for small banana cakes. I am inclined to throw away overripe bananas which is such a waste and making a banana loaf somehow seems a hassle. Also didn’t think of putting bananas with almonds.
Thomasina, you’ll love them. They are so quick to make!
For someone who doesn’t like cake, you sure know how to whip up a winner! Ugh, I remember our field days…and how I couldn’t do chin ups…the memories….
Chin ups? Ooh, that sounds nasty. Thanks for the encouragement, Liz, since I’ve let the side down with no macs here, apparently. 🙁
Adorable!
Did you win an M.O.F. metal? You should for spreading the macaron word out there!
Haha. I know, it’s not a macaron – but hey, I’m allowed to make other stuff from time to time. Am I?
I haven’t heard of an egg and spoon race. Shame since it sounds fun!
Adore financiers but haven’t tried it with banana. Interesting about the eye flicker. Had that a few times so will remember about the bananas next time.
Jean-Pierre, it’s not too late to have a go at the egg and spoon 😉 Let’s hope you don’t get another eye-twitch!
Ahh, the memories and finding out how easy it was to cheat by using your thumb on the egg. The teachers eventually found out when we would start to sprint with our arms flying in the air and the egg still wasn’t on the ground 😉
Ooooh, you didn’t did you, Gerry? OK, I confess – I also have the T shirt! Somehow their sports day wasn’t quite the same as ours in Scotland, eh?