Heavenly Baked!!!!!

New Norcia is a tiny little town approximately 132kms north of Perth, Western Australia. See the link

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Norcia,_Western_Australia
 
Originally two  Benedictine Monks -  Bishop Rosendo Salvado and Bishop Dom Joseph Serra travelled from Spain in the early 1800's and were granted 7,500 hectares of freehold land and built a mission and farm. In 1867 Bishop Salvado was appointed Abbot. During the 1860's-70's the mission flourished with the monks building a series of wells, breeding horses, producing silk & olive oil and growing grapes,almonds, dates & carob. 

The town was named after Norcia, a town in the Umbria Province of Northern Italy, in honour of the birthplace of the Order's founder, St Benedict Salvado.

It has a Monastery, frescoed chapels and is known for the largest post-Renaissance religious art collections in Australia. 

Another building is the hotel built for the Spanish Royal Family for their visit. Unfortunately, they never came.

A fire broke out and threatened the monks' crops and the mission itself. High winds fanned the fire and the monks tried in vain to extinguish the flames. Many received burns to their hands and faces and some had their beards singed. With no options left, the monks ran into the chapel and removed the picture of Our Lady (sacred image of Mary) and placed it in front of the raging fire. Within minutes, the wind changed direction and the flames died down. Both the monks and the aboriginals were witnesses to the event.  

Only a couple of monks reside there now as the others have passed on. The monks still adorn the heavy brown robes with a tie around the waist.

Today, one of the best things to come from New Norcia is its bread. A private company, New Norcia Bakeries, operates under an agreement with the Benedictine Community of New Norcia, making bread which is sold though various shops in Perth.

In 1993, New Norcia Bakeries was granted permission to use the original wood-fired oven at the monastery (installed in 1886) to produce authentic artisan breads. In 1996, another 100 year old wood-fired oven was discovered in the Perth suburb of Mount Hawthorn and was recommissioned. With the two ovens working in tandem to produce a range of breads, pastries, biscuits and cakes, New Norcia Bakeries soon established a reputation as Western Australia’s finest artisan bakers. 

Bernadette's Banana Cake with Icing

Ingredients

For the Cake:
250grams of softened butter
1 cup of light brown sugar
3 eggs
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups of self raising flour

For the Icing:
45grams of softened butter
90 grams of cream cheese
1 and a half cups of icing sugar
2 teaspoons of lemon juice



Method

Pre heat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and lightly flour a deep 24 cm ring tin.

For the Cake
Beat butter and sugar until a pale colour. Add eggs one at a time and keep beating.
Now stir in the mashed bananas and flour. Pour mixture into cake tin and bake for 45 minutes or until cakes springs back.

For the Icing
Beat together the butter and cream cheese together until smooth. 
Gradually fold in the icing sugar and lemon juice.


 When cake is cool cover with the icing and Enjoy!