Jamaican Banana Bread

Preheat oven to 190 C / Gas 5. Lightly grease two 20x10cm loaf tins.

Beat together 30g softened butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy. Slowly beat in sugar until well incorporated. Add the egg and mix well. Sieve together the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a separate bowl. In a different bowl, mix together the bananas, milk, 2 tablespoons rum, lime zest, lime juice and vanilla extract; stir well. Pour 1/3 of the flour mixture into the butter and mix well. Mix in 1/2 of the mashed bananas. Continue with another 1/3 of the flour, followed by the remaining banana mixture and finally the remaining flour. Fold in 4 tablespoons pecans and 4 tablespoons desiccated coconut.

Pour the mixture into the loaf tins and bake in the preheated oven until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, about one hour. When finished, cool for 10 minutes in the tins, remove and finish cooling on a wire rack.

After you take the banana bread out of the oven, prepare the topping by stirring together the dark brown soft sugar, remaining butter, lime juice and 2 teaspoons of rum in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer stirring constantly; cook until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is smooth, about one minute. Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons pecans and 2 tablespoons coconut. Spoon this topping over the loaves while they are still warm. The topping will harden slightly when the loaf cools.