Chocolate Banana Cake

What a great combo! The bananas not only enhance the chocolate but also act as a binder – which also makes it good if you want to use gluten-free flour.

This recipe serves 8

Time: 40-50 Minutes

Equipment: oven, baking paper, sieve, blender, whisk, spoon, cake tins, knife, chopping board, food processor

 

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

  • 225g self-raising flour – use all white OR half each of white SR and fine wholemeal SR (NB GF option – use GF cake flour)
  • 60g cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp baking powder (use a GF version if appropriate)
  • 3 bananas, medium ripe
  • 100ml soya or other plant milk (eg almond, oat, rice etc)
  • 200g caster sugar
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 120g vegan margarine OR 100ml plain vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp aquafaba (tinned chickpea or other white bean liquid), whipped until very frothy

Filling

  • 175g vegan margarine, eg Pure, Suma, Biona, Tesco OR mild coconut oil (eg Biona)
  • 120g icing sugar
  • 1 tbsp cocoa powder
  • Splash of soya or other plant milk to moisten

 

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Grease two 18cm/7 inch cake tins. Use the base to trace out and cut two circles of baking parchment or greaseproof paper. Place one round on the bottom of each tin. Alternatively, use silicone pans which don’t need lining – but place them on a firm baking tray and don’t move them around when they come out of the oven or else the cakes will split! Wait until the cakes are completely cool before turning out.

Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together.

Mix together the bananas, plant milk, sugar and vanilla essence, either in a blender or by hand.

Pour the banana mixture and oil or melted margarine into the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly by hand. Fold in the whipped aquafaba with the metal spoon carefully. Pour half of the cake mixture into each cake tin.

Cook in the centre of the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Test with a sharp knife, cocktail stick or similar cake tester. If it comes out clean, the cake is done – if not, put back in the oven for another 5-10 minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the filling by creaming the ingredients together – a food processor or blender is best if you have one.  Add the tiniest splash of plant milk or orange juice if the mixture is too stiff.