Banana Cake – Vegan

If there was a comfort food amongst baked goods, the banana bread would unequivocally take the honours. One could, of course, argue that all baked goods are comfort foods, but the banana bread evokes a particular degree of nostalgia and positivity unique to itself. The aroma that emanates, about half-way through baking, has to be inhaled to be believed. I can think of no better magnet to get people into the home. Interestingly, even those who dislike the banana as a fruit usually enjoy the banana bread! With all the add-ins, the exquisite aroma and just the right amount of sweetness, I would venture to call this vegan recipe a banana cake, rather than a bread.

I believe I was introduced to the banana bread in Sierra Leone when my mother was wondering what to do with several over ripe bananas and a Dutch neighbour suggested this dish. This week, when three friends asked me for my recipe on the same day, I knew it was high time I posted it. This version has been modified a LOT from that original recipe.

No oven? No problem.

This cake can also be made in a pre-heated pressure cooker, lined with sand, with the cake pan placed on a trivet such that the pan does not touch the surface of the cooker directly. Close and set it on low to medium heat.  Do NOT use the weight. Check periodically for doneness by putting in a toothpick in the centre and seeing if it comes out clean. Please note that the rubber gasket and the safety valve might need replacement sooner if used in this manner.

About the Ingredients:

The best part is this recipe is that it requires no special ingredients and can be mixed in one bowl, with one spatula, and without any whisks, electric mixers or anything else. Very little elbow grease too.. As always, with my recipes, there is no egg used. Normally made with refined all-purpose flour (maida), I have modified this recipe to use whole wheat flour entirely – it works with the rough-milled American whole wheat flour or the softer Indian atta – feel free to use either. I use unrefined sugar (Parry’s brand Amrit in India or Sugar in the Raw brand in the US – brown sugar also works – in this photo below, I show brown sugar). It also uses 5 large bananas – more than almost every other recipe I have come across – besides infusing the cake with tremendous flavour, this further reduces the amount of sugar needed.  I usually use a little yoghurt to reduce the fat content, but for vegan friends, I eliminate it and use more fat. With all these substitutes, this is an acceptable indulgence if, like me, you tend to pig out on desserts. (You can definitely use all purpose flour and white sugar too in this recipe too – it is entirely upto you).

The eponymous banana is THE most critical ingredient here. There are many varieties of bananas available but, for this dish, please do NOT be tempted to use any exotic variety. The plain, most common, mass cultivated banana is the undisputed best here. It infuses the cake with the maximum essence of bananas. Do not even be tempted to use some random bananas lying around. A very key aspect here is to ensure that the bananas are really over-ripe. I cannot overstress this. They should be just short of rotting. The photograph below would be so much more attractive if I had a perfect bunch of bananas in there instead of the battered looking bunch you see. But had I used beautiful yellow, blemish-less fruit, only the photograph would have looked good. One would NOT have a good banana cake.

You can use any fat of your choosing too, from ghee to butter to oil. If using oil, please use one with a neutral, flavourless profile (like peanut, corn or sunflower oils) since what we want to highlight is the banana. My personal preference, having used all three fats, is oil, since it brings out the banana flavor most prominently. If taking on travel, though, I would recommend ghee, since it is least likely to upset the stomach or have allergy issues.

Feel free to put add-ins of your choice – my favourites are pecans and chocolate chunks. Walnuts work very well too. I prefer toasted nuts for the increased flavor and texture. Raisins can be added too if preferred. My children really adore the chocolate chunks for that bite of extra flavour and sweetness. My husband loves nuts. What you put in is entirely upto you. I have friends who do not like anything added into it either, so I make it plain for them. Toss any chosen add-ins in a tablespoon of flour. This helps to distribute them better in the batter and avoids the layer of oil that sometimes encases nuts, in particular.

This is a preferred travel food for my family – wrapped in foil, it can last upto three days indoors at room temperature (except in the hottest of summers), is portable, tasty and filling. I would still suggest you refrigerate it within 12 hours of baking if a refrigerator is conveniently accessible. That way, even if you forget to eat it (highly unlikely), it will be perfectly intact.

A necessary note on utensils and measurements:

For baking, a critical and worthwhile investment is a set of measuring cups and spoons. Why can’t I just eyeball it as I always do, you ask? Because you cannot taste, add, mix or alter ingredients during cooking. Make sure you measure properly. While measuring dry ingredients (particularly flour which can be compacted a LOT), pour into cup and just level LIGHTLY with a spoon. Do NOT press and/or pack in – that will completely mess up any recipe. Unless otherwise stated, all measures are LEVEL. Do NOT heap.

1 cup is 237 ml, 1 tsp is 5 ml and 1 tbsp is 15 ml.

This cake can be made in a loaf pan or an 8″ by 8″ inch square pan.

Why no frosting?

This cake does NOT require it at all – really. In general too, with diabetes having dug a canyon through every fibre of family members, I decided to never frost/ice any cakes –  most cakes rarely have more than 1 to 1 1/2 cups for the entire recipe – divided into 12-36 portions, usually, this makes for only as much sugar per serving as a normal cup of coffee. However, frostings frequently call for 2-3 cups of powdered sugar, often even more, AND cupfuls of fat as well, OVER AND ABOVE that put into the cake itself. I decided that not even children, nobody, needs THAT much junk. If you would like to top it, though, I would suggest either a cream cheese frosting OR a chocolate ganache. Either would work well.

Ingredients:

5 largish very overripe bananas, mashed well (can be mashed with hand or potato masher)

2/3 cup oil/butter/ghee at room temperature (if using yoghurt, reduce this to ½ cup and also add 3 tbsp of plain, unsweetened yoghurt)

½ cup unrefined sugar – (does NOT require powdering unless they are very large crystals) – you CAN use brown sugar but do NOT use jaggery

1 ½ tsp vanilla extract

1 ½ cups whole wheat flour

1 ¼ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

Add-ins:

½ cup chocolate chunks and/or

½ cup chopped pecans or walnuts (toasting recommended) and/or

½ cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (you CAN bake this without an oven too –  see note above if you don’t have an oven/OTG). Grease and flour a standard loaf pan or an 8”by 8” square pan – refrigerated ghee is excellent for greasing.

Toss add-ins in a little dry flour just to coat.

Mix first four ingredients – bananas, fat, sugar and vanilla – together until well combined.

Add dry ingredients – can just be plonked in – no sifting or premixing needed.

Mix quickly, by hand, just until combined. Over mixing will result in a tough cake. Quickly stir in add-ins if using. Pour into pan.

Put into the oven immediately and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Remove and place on a trivet to cool.

When touchably very warm, upturn unto a serving plate. If it over cools, it will not come out of the pan. If upturned too quickly when very hot, the cake will disintegrate.

When completely cool, cut into desired portion sizes. Enjoy!

Do try it and leave your comments!

Check out another recipe using bananas- a very traditional South Indian recipe – here – Nei Appam