Chocolate Banana and Blueberry Tray Bake

This one turns a lot of the usual cake method on its head. You scatter the fruit into the tin first, pour the batter over the top, and let the oven do the rest. By the time it comes out, the banana has softened into little pockets of sweetness and the blueberries have burst a little into the crumb, and the bottom of the cake is the part that ends up on top when you turn it out. I like to think of it as a cake that is half fruit crumble and half chocolate sponge, with no real effort on your part.

A word about the banana, since it does most of the work here. A banana that has gone speckled and soft is sweeter than a green one, because its starches have turned into sugars as it ripens. That is why a bruised banana from the fruit bowl is often better for baking than a firm one. If yours is still a bit firm, chop it anyway and let the oven soften it. The blueberries are a bonus: they hold their shape better than most soft fruit, so they make neat little spots of colour rather than turning the whole tray purple.

The one thing I would watch is the batter. Wholemeal flour soaks up liquid more than white flour does, so the mix can feel stiffer than you expect. Add the milk a splash at a time, stopping when it pours slowly off the spoon. You want it loose enough to settle around the fruit, not sitting on top of it like a lid. It is also worth leaving the cake to cool in the tin for a few minutes before cutting, since the fruit is juicy and the squares will hold together better once they have had a moment to set.

To store it, keep the squares in an airtight tin at room temperature for a day or two. They also freeze well. Wrap each one separately, and they will thaw in an hour or so on the counter. If the fruit has released a lot of juice, the next day the cake will be a touch stickier on the bottom, which I actually prefer.

For serving, I usually go for something plain and cool alongside. A spoonful of plain Greek yogurt is lovely with the cocoa, and it adds a bit of tang that cuts through the sweetness. If you want a bigger treat for guests, a cold glass of semi-skimmed milk is still the classic partner. If you are after a lighter bite for the afternoon, a few more blueberries on the side will do nicely.

If you enjoy this kind of simple bake, you might also like the Frozen Peppermint Chocolate Banana Dessert for a cold option on a hot day, or the Soft Oat and Chocolate Chip Cookies when you want something you can grab from the tin. The Buttermilk Banana Loaf with Flaxseed is another good one to bake when you have a few spotty bananas left over.