With it being holidays, some Salient columnists go away, and don’t submit their columns. But this is okay, because unlike a President’s column, it is way easier to make up a food column at short notice.

One time last year, Leader of the Opposition Phil Goff visited the Salient office. In his honour, then-feature writer now-Editor Sarah Robson (Rarah and Sarah are obviously not the same person) baked Phil a banana cake. It was a banana cake so delicious that even Vice-Chancellor Pat Walsh indulged in a piece.

Legend has it that this cake came to be known as Goff Cake. You too can share in the legend.

125g butter
230g sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp baking soda
260g self-raising flour
6 tbsp water

Cream the butter and sugar.

Add eggs, beat well.

Add half of the flour and baking soda.

Add the banana and the vanilla.

Fold in the rest of the flour.

Add water.

Bake at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

If you’re wondering about the existence of a Key Cake, well, the Prime Minister hasn’t graced the Salient office with his presence yet. When he does though, we’re thinking chocolate cake.

Handy hints
Haven’t got any self-raising flour? Do not despair and do not run off to the shop to buy some. Instead of using self-raising, use one cup of plain flour and one teaspoon of baking powder. For this recipe, it’s two cups of plain flour and two teaspoons of baking powder. Huzzah!