banana cake

 

For the cake:

• 3 medium-sized ripe bananas
• 60 g (¼ cup) coconut oil (or sub olive or vegetable oil)
• 4 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar * (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 100 g (⅔ cup) raisins **
• 150 g (1 ¼ cup) ground almonds (almond meal) ***
• 150 g (1 ¼ cup) gluten-free flour blend (or sub plain flour if not gluten-free)
• 2 heaped teaspoons baking powder (ensure gluten-free if necessary)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 120 ml (½ cup) unsweetened almond milk (or any other plant-based milk)

For the frosting:

• 400 g (14 oz) tin of full-fat coconut milk ****
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup (or sub any other sweetener)

To decorate (optional):

•  Banana , sliced

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit)
• Peel the bananas and place in a wide-bottomed bowl, then use a fork to mash until you get a smooth paste
• Place the coconut oil in a separate large bowl and melt over a saucepan of boiling water or in the microwave (skip this step if using any other oil)
• Once melted, add the maple syrup to the same bowl along with the vinegar, cinnamon, vanilla, raisins and ground almonds
• Sift in the flour, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda
• Add the mashed bananas, and mix well, adding the milk a small amount at a time until you get a loose batter. You may not need to use it all depending on how liquidy your bananas are - you may also need to add a little more milk if your bananas are dry
• Transfer mixture into a greased baking tin lined with baking paper (I used an 18cm/7inch springform baking tin)
• Bake in oven for around 30 minutes until risen and golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean
• Once out the oven, leave to cool on a wire rack before applying the frosting

For the frosting:

• You’ll need to keep your tin of coconut milk in the fridge overnight for the rich creamy bit to separate from the watery bit at the bottom. Make sure it is full fat coconut milk, otherwise this separation won’t happen and you won’t be able to make this cream!
• Open the tin upside down – the coconut cream will be at the bottom and you can just pour off the watery liquid (save this for adding to soups or smoothies)
• Place the thick, creamy part into a bowl
• Add the lemon juice and maple syrup 
• Use an electric whisk (or a manual one and a lot of elbow grease) to whip up the coconut cream until light and fluffy

To decorate:

• Carefully spread the frosting over the top of the cake
• Top with the sliced bananas, if desired
• Best when fresh but keeps covered in the fridge for up to a few days

Notes

*The vinegar is crucial as its acidity needs to react with the alkali bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) to make the sponge fluffy.

**You can alternatively use almond flour.

***Raisins can be omitted, or replaced with chopped dates, dried mango, dried pineapple or dried papaya. Or, you could use fresh fruit such as blueberries or raspberries. Or dark chocolate chips.

****You can alternatively use 200g (7oz) coconut yogurt.

You could also add some desiccated coconut or chopped walnuts to the cake batter.

For an alternative cashew-based recipe, check out my vegan cream cheese frosting post!