Bake Text Only. Rachel Allen

a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.

      6 Allow to cool for 5 minutes before removing the cake from the tin. Serve sliced and buttered.

      VARIATION

      Banana and chocolate bread: As an alternative, leave out the raisins and cherries and add 75g (3oz) dark chocolate chips when adding the bananas in step 4, or you can melt the chocolate and fold it in to the banana mixture. Continue as above.

      MEREDITH’S ZUCCHINI BREAD

      This delicious loaf cake became a staple at Ballymaloe after an American girl named Meredith came to work in the kitchen—hence ‘zucchini’ rather than ‘courgette’. It is still very popular in the café. Don’t be put off by the idea of courgettes baked in a cake: the result is rather like Banana Bread