Banana Cake (grain free, gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free)

She likes it!  Hey Mikey! 
I wanted to re-post this banana cake to inform everyone that miracles do happen.  My daughter has decided that she likes banana bread/cake now.  HOORAY! 

I've been making this into loaves (instead of cakes) because they stack better in my freezer, but the original recipe (below) is formulated for a cake pan.  Here's a tip:  a DOUBLE recipe will make three 8"x4" loaves of banana bread.  I hope that helps.  

Just an aside - I love this banana bread toasted and slathered with butta...mmmmmm 

This is linked up to the Allergy-Free Wednesdays Blog Hop and Allergy Friendly Lunchbox Love.

My kiddos LOVE bananas.  In fact, we have to buy them every few days because they eat so many.  

In an effort to get my girly with the food intolerance to eat more, I thought banana bread was a good choice.  After all, she adores bananas.  It would be a healthy, yummy thing for her (and the rest of us) to snack on.  Well, after many attempts, she just.....doesn't....like it, never has (even back in the days of full-on gluten) - never will.  Go figure.

Then, I get this great idea!  "I'll make banana bread into a cake!  Surely if it's called 'banana cake' she'll eat it."  (I'm a genius.)

Wrong!  After tasting it she said - with a look of disdain on her face- "It's tastes like banana bread."

Two words come to mind...TOO and BAD!  The rest of us loved it - including outside taste testers.  I hope you enjoy this Banana Cake as much as we... well...MOST of us did. 

This cake tastes even better the next day.  Store it in the fridge and enjoy!  

Banana Cake (grain free, gluten free, dairy free) 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans, drained and cooled (*See note)

3 eggs

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup coconut oil, liquified

2-3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (Honeyville Grain)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon 

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 9" round baking pan.  Line bottom with parchment paper.

In a food processor, process beans, eggs, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, honey and coconut oil.

In separate bowl, whisk together almond flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add to food processor.  Pulse until combined.  Scrape down sides, add bananas, and pulse again until well mixed.

Pour batter into prepared pan.  Bake for 35-40 minutes (Cake is very moist.  Do not under cook - I lean toward 40 minutes of baking time.)

Pumpkin Bread with Coconut Sugar, Cinnamon and Pecan Topping (grain free, gluten free and refined sugar free)

I hope you all like this as much as I did.  The topping takes pumpkin bread to a little fancier level - perhaps serve it at a tea party, holiday brunch, give as gifts to neighbors, or bring a loaf to my house....:^)

This recipe is almost identical to the Pumpkin Muffins I recently posted.  The topping is the only difference.

(This recipe has been shared on Allergy Free Wednesday's Blog Hop and Gluten Free Fridays)

Pumpkin Bread with Coconut Sugar, Cinnamon and Pecan Topping (grain free, gluten free and refined sugar free)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups cooked navy beans, cooled

3 jumbo eggs  (see FAQ re:  eggs)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon vanilla

1/2 cup honey

3/4 cup cooked pumpkin (my preference is Libby's canned pumpkin)

1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour (I use Honeyville)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cloves 

For topping:

1/2 cup batter

2 tablespoons coconut sugar

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 8"x4" loaf pan and line with parchment.  (For pics on lining the pan, see Yummy Grain Free Bread.) 

In a food processor, puree navy beans, eggs, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, honey and pumpkin until smooth.

In a separate bowl, whisk together blanched almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until combined.  Add dry ingredients to wet and pulse until combined.  Scrape down sides and pulse again.

Place 1/2 cup of batter in a small separate bowl.  Add coconut sugar, cinnamon and pecans to reserved batter. Scrape the rest of the batter into prepared loaf pan.  Tap pan on counter a few times to bring air bubbles to the surface.  Pour topping over batter in pan.  

Bake for 30-45 minutes (depending on how many loaves you are baking at a time.)

Cinnamon Swirl Bread (grain free)

This grain free Cinnamon Swirl bread is, without a doubt, one of our favorites.  I have to practically ration it out to my kiddos because they gobble it up.  It's great as is or toasted.

The inspiration for this bread came from Erin McKenna's cookbook, babycakes.  Erin owns Babycakes NYC, a New York bakery (with locations in Los Angeles and Orlando) specializing in gluten free, refined-sugar free, wheat free, egg free, soy free, casein free and vegan goodies that you will not be able to get over!  In this cookbook, she makes an Apple Cinnamon Toastie bread that is unbelievable.  I simply HAD to have a grain free version.

When we were eating gluten free (not yet grain free), I bought both of her cookbooks and even went down to her Orlando  bakery and indulged in the BEST doughnuts (OK- and cupcakes too) ever (yes, including the white flour versions).  I've made a bunch of her recipes (including the doughnuts) and have never been disappointed.

Let me know if you try this recipe!!!

Cinnamon Swirl Bread (grain free)

Ingredients:

4 large eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup apple sauce (unsweetened)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon vanilla (gluten free)

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 3/4 cup blanched almond flour (from Honeyville Grain)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 tablespoon cinnamon

1/4 cup coconut sugar

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 loaf pan with coconut oil.  Line with parchment paper down the middle, including the long sides.  Don't worry about the short sides.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat eggs until frothy.  Add almond butter, applesauce, apple cider vinegar, honey, vanilla and olive oil.  Beat well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon.  Add to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Remove 1/2 cup of bread batter and place in small bowl.  Pour remaining bread batter into loaf pan.  Using a spoon, mix cinnamon and coconut sugar into 1/2 cup of reserved batter. Once mixed, pour topping over batter in loaf pan.  Using a small spoon, swirl cinnamon topping into bread.  Tap loaf pan on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake for about 45-50 minutes.  Allow to cool in pan for about 10 minutes.  Run a knife along short sides of loaf pan.  Remove bread by gripping parchment and lifting.  Allow to cool completely, then slice. 

Wrap bread in paper towels and store in zip top bag.  This bread freezes well.  Enjoy!

Yummy Grain Free Bread

I hope this picture speaks for itself.  It's grain free BREAD!  I SAID... "IT'S GRAIN FREE BREAD!!"  (hooray!)

Did you even know such a thing existed?  I didn't - until a few months ago.  After much trial and error and my little taste testers' honesty, this is the recipe that passed with flying colors.

The recipe comes together easily and I usually take a day every month-and-a-half or so to make 8 loaves.  The recipe doubles so I make 4 double batches.  To freeze, store it as directed below and place bags in freezer.  It's THAT easy!

I hope you enjoy!  

**UPDATE:  I just had a bread baking day and was able to triple the recipe in my kitchen aid mixer.  I baked the three loaves in one oven with the pans spaced evenly.

Yummy Grain Free Bread

Ingredients:

4 eggs, room temperature

1/2 cup almond butter

1/2 cup cooked butternut squash, pureed (** See note below)

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 3/4 cup blanched almond flour (Honeyville Grain)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350F.  Grease 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 glass loaf pan with coconut oil.  (The size of the loaf pan matters.)  Take a sheet of parchment paper and line the long sides and bottom with it.  (Don't worry about short sides.)

In the bowl of an electric mixer using whisk attachment, beat eggs until frothy.  (You can also use a hand-held electric mixer.)  Add almond butter, butternut squash, apple cider vinegar, honey and olive oil.  Beat well.

In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, salt and baking soda.  Add to wet ingredients and mix until incorporated. 

Pour batter into loaf pan.  Tap pan on counter to burst any bubbles.  (Reflection:  We all need our bubbles burst sometimes,huh?) 

Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes in pan.  Run knife around short edges of pan and lift bread out of pan by gripping parchment. 

Once loaf has completely cooled, slice.  It can be stored in the fridge wrapped in a paper towel and placed in a zip top bag or storage container.

Today's To Dos.....BREAD!

I remember my Grandma Agnes making some of the best artisan Italian bread that I have ever put in my mouth.  Seriously.  She made it all from scratch and on bread baking day the smell wafted through the whole house. 

Well, today was my bread baking day!  Yippee!  That is, grain free bread baking day.  Not exactly the same, but we'll take what we can get!

The loaves on the left are regular grain free bread.  The loaves on the right are cinnamon swirl bread (both posts to come soon!)  I like to bake about 8 or 9 loaves at a time and freeze them so we have bread on hand at all times- I've got three more loaves in the oven!  Woo-Hoo!

I hope you will try these recipes once I post them.  The bread is low carb, low sugar and high in healthy protein.