FAMILY RECIPE MAKE-OVER – Auntie Ann’s Banana Cake

I am so excited to begin this series.  As I stated in my Family Recipe Make-Over kick-off post, I have so much fun veganizing, healthifying, and gluten-freeing “conventional” recipes.  The first recipe in the series was sent in by Veggie Grettie reader (and dear family friend) Ann.   This is what she had to say…

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Hi Gretchen,

 

I’ve been baking this cake for over 40 years…..for birthday parties, holidays, barbecues, and potlucks.  I still have friends and family asking me to make it, sometimes remembering it from events years ago.   It’s a moist cake with a nice nutty/banana flavor.  I’d love to be able to make it for all of my guests and would love to have the recipe “veganized”.

 

Thanks a bunch!

Ann H.

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I have to say that the results from updating the recipe below were amazing…so much so that my husband asked me to remove the cake from the premises (no joke).  When I explained to him that this cake is really not that bad for you, he responded with, “It is if I eat the ENTIRE thing.  I am afraid I won’t be able to stop.”

The cake turned out moist and springy which is a big achievement for a gluten-free cake without eggs.  My son couldn’t stop raving about how good the glaze was.  The original recipe used a cream cheese frosting and I opted to make a cream cheese glaze in order to cut back on the sugar.  Since glazes go so well on Bundt cakes, I switched things up by making this a Banana Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze.

To appease my husband I cut two more servings of the cake as after school snacks for my kids and then my daughter’s school became the recipient of the banana cake left-overs… much to my kid’s dismay (another opportunity to discuss the importance of sharing!).

CAKE INGREDIENTS

WET

1 ¼ cup very well mashed banana (about 3 medium)

1 cup maple syrup

1 Energ egg replacer egg

2/3 vegan buttermilk (instructions below)

–          Slightly less than 2/3 cup soymilk

–          ¾ Tbs white vinegar

1/3 cup grapeseed oil

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

 

DRY

2 cups King Arthur Gluten Free Multi-Purpose Flour

1 cup blanched almond flour

1 ½ tsp xanthan gum

3 tsp baking soda

2 ½ tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

 

2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

 

GLAZE INGREDIENTS

 

1 cup powdered sugar

¼ cup vegan cream cheese, melted

1 Tbs lemon juice

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Preheat the convection oven to 350 degrees.

Make the vegan buttermilk by pouring ¾ Tbs distilled white vinegar into a 2/3 cup measuring cup.  Pour soymilk over the vinegar to fill the 2/3 cup measuring cup.  Allow this mixture to cure for at least 10 minutes.

Add all of the “dry” ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk to fully incorporate.

In a separate bowl combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk to fully incorporate.

Combine the wet and dry ingredients.  Do not overmix.

Fold in the finely chopped walnuts.

Lightly grease your Bundt pan and pour in the batter.

Bake for 35-45 minutes (mine took 40 minutes), turning half way through.

Allow the pan to cool for 5 minutes and then invert the Bundt cake onto a cooling rack.  Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes.

Sift the powdered sugar (to remove lumps) and whisk in the melted vegan cream cheese and lemon juice.  Drizzle the glaze over the banana cake and serve.

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For a printable version of this recipe click HERE.

To view Ann’s original recipe click HERE.