Eggless Banana Walnut Cake

There are times when you try out some new things with lots of excitement and a little anxiety.  For me, baking cakes was one of those things. Blogging has inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and Banana Walnut Cake was my first baking venture.  
Here is my tried and tested Egg-less Banana bread recipe flavored with Green Cardamom (Elaichi).

Ingredients:
Ripe Bananas - 2 big
All Purpose Flour/Maida - 3/4 cup
Semolina/Rava/Sooji (Fine) - 1/4 cup
Light Brown Sugar - 3/4 cup
Walnuts/Akrot - 1/4 cup
Unsalted Butter - 1 tbsp
Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Cardamom/Elaichi - 2 pods (seeds only)
Butter or Oil for greasing

How to bake an Eggless Banana Loaf:

• Peel the banana skin and mash the bananas in a mixing bowl. Add sugar and mix until sugar dissolves. Now add olive oil and melted butter. Mix well until all the ingredients are mixed well and no banana lumps are seen. I used a hand blender. Keep these wet ingredients aside.
• Oil is the ingredient which makes the cake really moist.
• Roughly chop walnuts or any other nuts - cashews, almonds, pecans.  Crush the cardamom seeds to a fine powder in a mortar pestle. Use cinnamon/dalchini and/or nutmeg/jaiphal if you like.
• In another mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients - all purpose flour, semolina, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom powder and walnuts.  Mix well with a spoon.
• Grease the baking pan with oil or butter. Preheat the oven at 350 degrees F.
• Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Mix with a spoon or a spatula, just enough to form a lumpy batter. Do not over mix.
• Pour the cake batter in the greased pan. Sprinkle about 1 tsp roughly chopped walnuts on top. Bake for 25 - 30 minutes at 350 degrees F. Insert a toothpick or fork in the center and see if it comes out clean. If not, bake for few more minutes. Let the cake cool for 15 - 20 minutes before slicing.