Well, it's been almost two weeks since 2013 started, and I still haven't eaten any (refined) sugar. I don't really agree with the concept of "new years resolutions", however, I have been making several decisions lately for my physical and mental health, and one of them has been to cut back on sugar. As you can probably tell, I not only have a major sweet tooth, but I also love to bake. That puts me in a bad situation as I've realized cane sugar has some pretty noticeable side effects for me; it gives me terrible migraines, heartburn, mood swings, and fatigue. Also I'm sure it's not particularly beneficial for my psoriasis (or Crohn's!). So I'm trying to stop eating refined sugar, or cane sugar, except maybe the occasional treat on a birthday or holiday. I've been hearing a lot of nasty stuff about agave nectar lately, so I doubt I'll be using that much either (which is such a bummer considering it's so much cheaper than the other alternative sweeteners). I still eat maple syrup and brown rice syrup, but hopefully some day I will cut back significantly on my intake of those too; I'm taking this one step at a time.
This cake is pretty fantastic, if I do say so myself. Not only does it taste great, but it's the perfect consistency (not even a sugar-eating omnivore would be able to guess it's sugar-, egg-, and dairy-free!). Even if you choose to use a different frosting, this cake a fabulous base. It can easily be doubled (or tripled!) to make a layer cake. This recipe is modified from the book More Great Good Dairy-Free Desserts Naturally, but I changed it enough that I feel okay posting it. The frosting recipe was inspired by this recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie, only I changed it somewhat, mostly because coconut butter is definitely not sold near me and my food processor is not cooperative when I try to make my own. It's not exactly the prettiest color in the world, and I would recommend decorating the top with coconut. Of course, if you're not so strict about avoiding sugar, you could use a different frosting, but this stuff really does have a good flavor and I would recommend trying it.
Vanilla Cake
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, or other mild-tasting oil
- 5 tablespoons pure maple syrup or agave nectar
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1) Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil a circular 8-inch cake pan.
2) In a medium bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3) In another medium bowl, mix together oil, syrup, milk, vanilla, almond extract, lemon zest, and vinegar until completely combined.
4) Add liquids to flour mixture and stir until combined and no lumps remain.
5) Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
6) Cool on a wire rack in pan for 10 minutes, then carefully remove from pan and let cake rest on rack until completely cool.
Meanwhile, prepare frosting:
Banana-Coconut Frosting
- 1 overripe banana
- 2/3 cup unsweetened coconut flakes (okay I have to admit I didn't measure this at all, so have at least 1 cup available, but you might not need it all)
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup, or more, to taste
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- dash of cinnamon
- dash of salt
1) In a blender or food processor, blend banana until smooth.
2) Add 2/3 cup coconut flakes and combine. At this point, it should be about the consistency of frosting (not smooth, obviously, because of the coconut, but the same thickness); if it seems too liquidy to be spread on cake, add a bit more coconut.
3) Add maple syrup, extracts, lemon zest, and salt and mix until combined.
4) Refrigerate until ready to use (it tastes best cold).
To assemble cake, frost with banana frosting, then sprinkle on some extra coconut flakes and lemon zest.
Enjoy immediately or refrigerate until serving.
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