This is revision week in St Andrews, the week before exams start where we’re supposed to bed down and barricade ourselves inside our rooms or a small corner of the library with all of our textbooks, notes and th disintegrating threads of our sanity.

It’s times like these where I really appreciate two things in life: one, the power of a good tkd session to completely destress and wipe any trace of transcription and PCR from my mind; and two, sharing a cake with good friends.

As I said in my profile, I have more than slightly unhealthy obsession with all things chocolate. Literally, 9 times out of 10 when I bake something chocolate is the principal ingredient. Brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate caramel cracker candy… just plain chocolate!

Which is why it’s a bit out of character for me to have made something that’s not chocolate this week. Although that being said, my friend made some lovely biscuits that did feature my beloved chocolate.

Instead, this week I took pity on the browning bananas that my friend Craig had abandoned last week and that I had rescued by putting them in the freezer. They were freed from their frigid states, mashed up, and metamorphosed into a glorious banana cake with maple icing and walnuts.

It must be said that I baked this cake at half 11 last night and iced it closer to 2 am. Then for some bizarre reason stayed up until 4 am. I know, I’m a student and I keep weird hours!

Still, it saved me from having to bake the cake this morning and it was lovely just to gaze at my maple-y creation all day as I poured over my biology notes.

So, without further ado, my banana cake with maple icing and walnuts!