Who would like a slice of banana bread? I really like making cakes and I like sharing them with others. Always in the hope that they will enjoy them, of course. I may have a mindset problem, but I think a piece of cake and a cup of good coffee (or tea) has a mood enhancing power on the most dreary of afternoons.

You know when someone offers you a slice of cake? You have basically two choices, as far as I am concerned. Politely decline or accept it and consume it with joy. If the said cake is making you smile, say so. If it’s not to your liking, keeping it to yourself is possibly a good idea, unless the gifter insists on feedback and even then, a pinch of tact goes a long way.

What really irks me is when people take the cake and then simply proceed to tell you how they have had better, their wife makes a nicer one or they don’t really like one of the key ingredients (banana-less banana cake, anyone?)

They will want to call it ‘honesty’, but that’s just plain rude, in my opinion! Someone made this cake with love and care and they really hoped you would enjoy it or else they wouldn’t give it to you. If for whatever reason it’s not quite to your taste, fair enough, but have a bit of consideration for them. You are not a Masterchef judge! Get over yourself!

This mini-rant is based on a real life experience that has recently left me puzzled. And the funny thing is that these are usually the same people who would not be able to handle it if you were to be honest in return. I think we have probably all come across that type of person before…

The moral of this life lesson is to not waste your cake on people like that, give it to those who will offer you a simple ‘thank you’ and a smile in return.

Going back to the cake. This is my healthier take on one of my favourite cakes of all time – banana bread. I like to make mine with buckwheat flour, personally, but you are welcome to use a gluten-free flour mix or a regular all purpose flour, if gluten doesn’t bother you. If you are keen on using alternative sugars, coconut sugar works rather well here, although I tend to use demerara sugar myself. It contains no eggs obviously (so no cholesterol worries here) and it’s quite low on fat – I only used 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) of oil for the entire loaf. Despite all the health conscious swaps, I still think it’s a cracking good cake and I hope you’ll enjoy it too.