Bing's Banana Cake Recipe

Preheat your oven to 160°C for a standard oven, or 150°C for a fan-forced oven. It's always a good idea to check your oven's actual temperature with a thermometer if you bake often.

Grease and line a 10 x 10 x 3 square baking pan or an 11-inch round pan. Grease the pan, then line it with baking paper, and grease the paper again for good measure.

Stir in 1 teaspoon banana flavoured essence.

Peel enough very ripe bananas to get 400 g. The stronger they smell, the better. You can cut them into large pieces if they're too long for your mixing bowl.

Continue whisking the egg and banana mixture until it's white, stiff, and holds its shape like whipped cream, without dripping. If it's still runny, keep whisking.

While that's happening, sieve 1 cup flour into a separate bowl.

Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg-banana mixture in 3 separate additions. Use large, gentle movements to incorporate the flour without deflating the mixture.

If you're using them, fold in the optional walnuts now.