Have you heard about the Secret Recipe Club? It’s a monthly food blogger event where each blogger is secretly assigned another blog from which to draw inspiration. There are so many participants that posts actually go out three times a month now! Crazy.
This month I was assigned 365 Days of Baking. Yep, it’s just what it sounds like – an ambitious attempt to bake every day for an entire year. Wow. Of course, baking and blogging every day means that some recipes are better than others, and so the author of 365 Days of Baking uses a rating system of 1 to 4 rolling pins to help the reader decide what recipes might be worth trying. I love this idea – and it takes so much pressure off to get every recipe just right.
I actually started by checking out her 1 rolling pin recipes. The Margarita Cookies, in particular, caught my eye. I thought the flavors sounded really interesting, and it seemed like one that would convert to gluten-free fairly well. And, I made them. And she was right. It’s great in concept, but not so much in execution. Oh well.
And then I was asked to make a cake. In case you haven’t noticed, I don’t do a lot of cake around here. It’s just not my thing. But, for a friend? Always. Whatever they want. And so I settled on the Banana Cake – a 3 rolling pin recipe. Of course, I made it gluten-free and vegan. The wonderful thing about banana cake? It’s really just banana bread in disguise. And, well, I dig banana bread.
Banana Cake (or an excuse to eat a lot of chocolate frosting)
Fresh Banana Cake
1 T. apple cider vinegar, plus almond milk to equal 1/2 cup
1/2 T. ground chia seed
4 T. (48 g) palm shortening
4 T. (56 g) soy-free Earth Balance Buttery Spread
1.5 cups sugar (yep, I used white sugar)
1 1/4 cups (310 g) mashed bananas (about 3)
1 t. vanilla
3 ounces white corn flour (not corn starch or corn meal)
3 ounces sweet rice flour
3 ounces white rice flour
1 t. xanthan gum
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
Preheat the oven to 350°. Oil and flour a 9″ springform pan. (I used the sweet rice flour for the pan.) Mix the apple cider vinegar, almond milk and chia seed together and set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the shortening, Earth Balance and sugar together. Beat until light. (This takes a while.)
Add the bananas and vanilla and beat well.
In a small bowl, mix the flours, gum, baking soda & salt. Add the dry ingredients to the creamed ingredients and beat well.
Add the almond milk mixture and beat well.
Pour into prepared pan and bake for 50 minutes. Check it after 30 minutes. If it is browning too fast, place a loose piece of tin foil over the pan to prevent browning.
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Open the springform pan and place a cooling rack on top of cake. Invert the cake onto cooling rack. Cool Completely. Split and fill and frost with your choice of filling and frosting.
Want to see what other bloggers did this month? Check out the Group C Round Up:
The Mommy Bowl 
Ohh that banana bread-cake looks delicious and gooey. I would like some, yup. And I want to check out that blog–baking every day?? Intense!
It was definitely gooey. My testers liked it. It was a bit much for me – a bit too sweet. But, it has potential to be made less sweet, for sure.
Deanna, thank you so much for your post – you did a great review. I LOVE the changes you made and that you added the ground chia seed. I’m addicted to those! That last picture looks oh so good, especially with the chocolate frosting. Thanks again, I look forward to more of your posts!
Thanks Lynne – I’m so glad you liked the review!
What a lovely excuse to eat chocolate frosting! Always happy to find another gluten-free blogger.
That looks incredible! Great job turning it both vegan and gluten-free! You must be pretty experienced with that kind of baking to pull it off so well. I’m drooling!
I love the combo of banana and chocolate!
Almost as good as chocolate and peanut butter, no? 🙂
I’m interested in what frosting you used for the cake. I know a lot of canned ones are vegan but was wondering if you made your own?
I did make my own. There are 2 different kinds on there. The filling is just Sprectrum brand palm shortening + Earth Balance Soy Free Spread (equal amounts of each) with some cocoa powder and powdered sugar. The outside frosting is the filling from this pie, with less coconut oil/whipped less so it wasn’t as thick:
https://themommybowl.com/2011/08/16/vegan-soy-free-french-silk-pie/
WOW – that looks really good! And it’s healthy because it has bananas – right??
wow, that;s a egg free cake, Mmm., sounds delicious, looks gooey, beautiful click, with the chocolate frosting, nice one for SRC
I love banana cake. This sounds like it is a bit healthier than what I am used to! 🙂
Oh my goodness, your cake looks wonderful!
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to check out my Group ‘A” ~ SRC recipe this month: Cilantro Lime Chicken
Lisa~~
Cook Lisa Cook
Deanna… I can’t tell you how much fun I had perusing your blog and choosing something to make! You are a joy to read, and I’m truly enjoying so many of your recipes. Including this Banana Cake! Bananas are very popular in our household and I’m eager to give this one a go, Ive not used the chia seed in the past and will have to look that one up and see what I can find.
I’m so happy to have “met” you!
Hi Kim,
Thanks much. I’m glad you enjoyed it. You could substitute eggs for the chia, since you’re an egg-eating house. I’d do 1 egg and then reduce the almond milk by about 3 T. Or, heck, just make the original gluten-fied version. 🙂
I don’t do a lot of cake either – but banana cake??? I would never be able to pass up an opportunity to make that (or rather sit and shovel that into my mouth). Great choice for SRC!!!
Thanks so much, Kita. Banana anything pretty much rocks in my mind.
I love banana bread (and cakes)! This is a great recipe! Looks moist and delicious!
I’ve had and made banana bread before, but this chocolate must sure take it to a whole other level. Looks great!
Based on the number of fruit flies I have flying around my bananas I think I need to make this quick!
I love banana cake, that looks sinfully good. And baking everyday? Can I come live with you 🙂
What I would do to dive into this banana cake this morning! Awesome to be in the Secret Recipe Club with you. Here is my post for September 🙂 http://su.pr/1Sizv9
Also: I would love if you added this and any other links to my “Happy Post” today. http://su.pr/1bZ8fp