Oaty Banana Bread

Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F.

Line a 1.2 litre loaf tin with parchment paper.

Put the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat well. The easiest way to do this is with a hand-held electric beater but a wooden spoon and some elbow grease also works.

The mixture should become a little lighter in colour.

Add two of the eggs along with the vanilla extract and half of the flour and beat well to combine.

Add the remaining egg and the rest of the flour with the baking powder and salt, if using.

Mix until everything is just combined – overbeating will make the bread less light, so easy does it.

Peel the bananas and mash the flesh in a bowl, then carefully fold into the bread mixture with the oats, reserving a little for decoration.

Using a spatula, transfer the mixture into the lined tin.

Sprinkle over the remaining oats.

Place in the oven and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour until well risen and cooked through.

To test, insert a skewer or toothpick into the centre of the bread and it should come out clean. The bread will also smell cooked and be springy to the touch.

Remove the bread from the oven and after 5 minutes transfer them to a wire or grill rack and leave to cool completely before serving.

Cut the oaty banana bread into 16 even-sized slices and arrange one piece on a plate with a piece of fruit to serve