Bake this cake for my mom birthday. We usually celebrate all 4 August birthday on my mom birthday day. Another year older, and no celebration as we are in lockdown the second birthday for everyone too. Zoom celebration is only communication and seeing but not physically connected to the grandchildren and children.

Corona virus had changed a lot of people’s lives in good and bad ways. Certainly, it had made us come closer to God and realised how much we have not been able to hugs, touch-shake hands or even give a kiss nor serve each other’s. Time is all we have to share precious moments with family.

My cake is also getting smaller simple no extra ordinary surprise the birthday girl. At least, I could bake a cake for my mother to blow in front of zoom with everyone. My dad said it’s delicious, crunchy moist and had spices flavoured. Let’s bake!!!

 Ingredients

4 fresh banana from my sister
2 eggs
300g self raising flour
140 g yoghurt
100 g pepitas
100 g sunflower seeds
75 g castor sugar
30 rolled oats
80 ml oil
2 1/2 Tbs soft butter (OPT)
2 Tsp bicarb soda
1 Tsp vanilla essence
1 Tsp cinnamon powder
1/4 Tsp nutmeg powder
salt
melted butter about 20 g (OPT)

Method

Preheat oven 200 degrees C. Greased and lined with baking paper. Set aside.

Put flour, bicarb soda, salt, 80 g pepitas, 80 g sunflower seeds, 20 g oats, cinnamon, and nutmeg into the mixing bowl mix till combined. Peel banana put in another bowl with sugar and mashed with potato masher. Then add egg, vanilla and yoghurt, then mix to combined well.

Now add the banana mixture to the flour mixture, and add butter then blend until combined. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Scatter the remaining 20 g pepitas, 20 g sunflower seeds, and 10 g oats. Gently press into th batter as I smooth the top. Gives a couple of knock-on benchtop. This released air bubbles.

Bake for 45- 55 minutes or until skewer comes out clean. Switch off oven, leave loaf pan in oven for 1 hour with door closed. After, 1 hour removed to rack to cool in pan for about 20 minutes. Lifted out from pan, remove baking paper and place on a foiled plate mat to cool completely.

Melt butter in a small bowl in microwave. Brush over the top and side. Before serving warm up a piece in microwave for about 10 seconds and spread with fig jam or butter or marmalade or peanut butter. I spread with fig jam and then the second piece with butter on top. Enjoy!!!!!

Note: You can add mixed spices instead of pepitas and sunflower seeds. You can add dried herbs or even nuts of your choice.  You can use ripen banana. Oven varies, you might want to put in for about 40-45 minutes first and then see if skewer out clean. I had it in for about 55 minutes after 45 minutes, skewer in and out a bit damp till so I put in another 10 minutes.

https://helenscchin.com/2021/08/29/banana-pepitas-yoghurt-and-sunflower-seeds-loaf/

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