Begin by preheating oven to 160C for standard heating oven, 150C for fan-forced oven

I cant stress enough how important it is to have an efficient oven when it comes to baking

So if you intend to bake regularly, please invest in an oven thermometer so that you know the exact temperature your oven heats up to

Next, grease and line a 10 X 10 X 3 square baking pan or 11 round pan

Grease first, line with baking paper and then grease again

Add 5 large eggs to a large deep mixing bowl

Add 1 cup of sugar

Feel free to cut this amount by a tablespoon or two if your bananas are very very ripe

Ripe bananas have alot of sugar in them

Add 1 teaspoon of banana flavoured essence

Peel about 5 large bananas to get 400g of bananas

Use very ripe bananas

The stronger they smell, the better

You can cut the bananas into large pieces if they are too long for the bowl

Add the bananas to the egg and sugar mixture

Beat at low speed for one minute and then at maximum speed for 14 minutes

Let the machine whisk the mixture until it resembles whipped cream

If the mixture is still runny or wet, whisk some more

It should be white, stiff and non-dripping

While the egg and banana mixture is being whisked, prepare the dry ingredients

Sieve 2 & 1/2 cups of plain flour into a bowl

Add 1 & 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder

Add 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda

Prepare 200g of vegetable oil about 2/3 cup and 1/4 cup

Transfer the whisked egg-banana mixture to a large bowl/pot if necessary

Add the flour mixture in 3 parts to the egg-banana mixture

Fold the flour mixture into the egg-banana mixture with your hands

Use large folding movements

Do this step in 3 parts

Dont add all the flour at one time

When the flour mixture has been folded into the egg-banana mixture, add the vegetable oil

And fold that in as well

If you have chopped walnuts, add them here too

I liked my cake with no nuts

Pour the batter into the greased and lined baking pan

Bake at a pre-heated oven of 160C for standard heating oven, 150C for fan-forced oven for 55 minutes or until the cake turns golden brown

A cake pick or satay stick should come out clean when placed into the centre of the cake

A cake pick or satay stick should come out clean when placed into the centre of the cake

Place a cake base or plate over the baking pan and invert the cake over

Peel the baking paper away from the cake

Use a cooling rack and invert the cake again

Let the cake cool on the cooling rack

If you are in a dry or cold environment, place a clean towel over the cake as it cools so that it would not dry out too quickly

Best served warm