0 Brazilian banana and chocolate chip tapioca cake - gluten free

This cake is a Brazilian love affair, made with tapioca flour (a staple in Brazil), bananas (10% of the worlds banana's are produced in Brazil) and chocolate (Brazil being the 6th largest producer of Cocoa bean in the world) this cake is my World Cup recipe. Personally I can't stand football and I would rather watch paint dry so I thought I try to get in the spirit of things by baking a cake that takes it inspiration from the country of Brazil.

Bahia, Sao Paulo, Brasilia are all mentioned in the classic track by "Brazilian Love Affair" by George Duke which I recall being played over and over by elder soul / jazz funk loving sister when I was a child and it all seamed so exotic and tropical, so here are some of the flavours of Brazil in cake form.

Happily for me Tapioca flour is naturally gluten free so is a great flour to be baking with here, fairly easily obtainable mail order or in your local health food shop.

This image is an image of an image of the cake on a tablet pc, Mr Lancashire Food being very creative ! when it comes to food photography.

What you need

• 2/3 cup tapioca flour
• 1 1/3 cup brown rice flour
• 3 large ripe bananas - mashed
• 1/2 cup oil - Coconut oil is nice but regular sunflower would work here too
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (cardamon would also be good)
• 2 eggs - free range
• 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 bag of dark chocolate chips (I always toss in a little of the flour to prevent them from sinking too much)

This recipe makes 2 x 2lb loaf tin cakes, I used the ready to use liners but you could lightly oil and base line instead.

What you do 

• Pre heat the oven to 180c 
• Whisk up the sugar, eggs and oil until light and frothy, add the rest of the ingredients except the choc chips.
• Stir in until you have a smoothish mixture and then stir in the choc chips 
• Pour in the prepare tin, smooth level and bake for 50 - 55 minutes until golden and test cooked with a skewer
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so in the tins and then remove to a cooling rack.
• The flavour of the cake develops more fully the day after baking.

A delicious cake inspired by Brazil, it has a wonderful crumb structure and is not dry or gritty as often cakes containing rice flour can be. 

I'm adding this post to Bake of the week over on Casa Costello 

                                                          

Detail: Brazilian banana and chocolate chip tapioca cake - gluten free

0 Banana and chocolate buckwheat cake, naturally gluten free.

I have a new love in my life ! Mr LF doesn't need to worry as its a flour. Yes a flour, buckwheat flour, naturally gluten free and with a beautiful light nutty wholesome flavour. It makes amazing cakes which are light and tasty. Unfortunately Mr LF isn't as keen as I am on the flavour of the wholesome little seed.

Closely related to sorrel and rhubarb this fast growing plant with white flowers is grown in China, Russia and across the world, but not much in the UK. Its seed is ground to produce flour which is used pancakes, cakes and breads and also in soba noodles and  buckwheat pasta. The achene is also make kasha, in the production of gluten free beer and whisky  and is eaten sprouted in some countries too.

Naturally gluten free is a great addition to the bakers store cupboard, its a finely ground flour which is light brown in appearance.

To make this cake is a pretty simple all in one method and the resultant cake is moist and flavourful, personally I like the buckwheat flavour, some may not. Its slightly earthy and nutty but definitely not unpleasant, reported to be rich in minerals and good for your cardiovascular system.

What you need

• 180g of buckwheat flour (if you are ceoliac then ensure its been processed in GF environment)
• 200g granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs - free range please
• 160ml sunflower oil (or other oil with no flavour)
• 1 tsp of vanilla
• 3 small very ripe bananas - mashed (I freeze mine when going over ripe and they are perfect when defrosted)
• Handful of chocolate chips (I used buttons, ideally chopped up)

What you do

• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Oil spray a 8" round loose bottom cake tin and base line
• Mix together the flour, sugar, bicarbonate of soda and salt, until well mixed.
• Add the eggs, oil and vanilla to the bowl and mix until jut coming together, stir in the mashed bananas and chocolate chips. Like muffins don't overwork the mixture.
• Tip into your prepared cake tin and smooth level
• Bake for approximately 40 minutes until risen and tested cooked with a skewer, try not to over bake
• Cool in the tin on a wire rack, then remove from tin and enjoy !

The cake stores well wrapped in foil in a cool dry place for a few days, you could probably freeze it but I haven't tried this yet.

As for Mr LF's aversion to this flour, I am not beaten yet and am planning more bakes which might persuade him otherwise yet.

Detail: Banana and chocolate buckwheat cake, naturally gluten free.

0 Gluten free banana loaf

For medical reasons I have recently switched to being gluten free and whilst this is proving a little challenging in the bread department, its not effecting cake baking too much....

Gluten free flours don't behave in the same manner as wheat based flour but frankly in this recipe you struggle to tell its gluten free. It is a satisfying bake which is great to use up past there best bananas, personally I love banana cakes as they have a beautiful aroma whilst baking and this one in no exception.

I am thinking of swirling in chocolate hazelnut spread next time round to provide an extra level of decadence, you could also add nuts if you would like more texture.

What you need

• 75g softened butter
• 175g sugar
• 2 eggs free range - beaten
• 3 large bananas - the spottier the better
• 200g gluten free plain flour ( I used Dove's farm)
• 1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

What you do

• Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin
• Cream the butter and sugar in the mixer until light and fluffy
• Add the eggs and bananas, flour and bicarbonate and mix until well incorporated
• Pour into the prepared tin
• Bake for about 60 minutes at 180c until its golden and cooked through
• Cool on a wire rack

Detail: Gluten free banana loaf

0 Banana and blueberry loaf

As regular readers will know I hate waste, so another variation on Banana loaf was required to use up a couple of spotty bananas from the fruit bowl. I always buy organic fairtrade bananas as they taste so much nicer and more intensely banana than the ordinary type, combined in this recipe with one of my favourite superfruits blueberry, the resultant loaf is very moreish. Its a another cup recipe and is very easy, just line your tin and mash your bananas, other than that its an all recipe.

Ingredients

• Plain flour - 2 cups
• 1tsp baking powder
• pinch of sea salt
• 1/2 cup soft butter or quality margarine ( I like to use butter as the flavour is better in this recipe)
• 1 cup caster sugar (you could use granulated)
• 2 eggs - free range
• Vanilla paste - 1 tsp ish
• 2 ripe bananas - mashed
• 1 cup of blueberries

You'll need a 2lb loaf tin, lined

Method

• Just place all ingredients (except for the blueberries) in a large bowl and beat until you have a smooth mixture, I use my Kitchenaid mixer !
• Then gently fold in the blueberries and pour into your prepared loaf tin
• Bake in a preheated oven at 170c for approx 50 minutes, until cooked when tested with a skewer
• Cool in the tin initially and then on a wire rack
• Keeps well in airtight tin and would also freeze as well

Detail: Banana and blueberry loaf

0 Another banana loaf

A while ago as part of a blog post I was sent some coconut oil, the jar has sat in the cupboard doing nothing, every time I go in that cupboard it waves at me and I think I must come up with a recipe that uses the ingredient.

My coconut oil was from The Groovy Food Company , Coconut oil is a source of lauric acid which is good for your cardo vascular system and despite being a saturated fat assists in regulating your cholesterol levels and boosting your immune system, it tastes from the jar like a coco-nutty wax, not unpleasant and faintly tropical tasting.

Coconut oil can be used like other oils  and in a warm kitchen will turn runny, I had an idea that the faintly tropical flavour would combine well with banana in a loaf cake, one of the staples in my kitchen.

The resultant loaf cake was deliciously aromatic and faintly tropical flavour as I hoped, moist too, it would may be benefit from a cream cheese buttercream icing if you wanted to take it towards a passion cake. Talking of additions you could also may be add blueberries or pineapple or mango if you wanted to up the fruitiness further.

Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas - peeled and mashed
• 2 tbsp low fat plain yogurt
• 2 large eggs - free range please
• 1 1/4 cups of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of coconut oil - melted
• 1/4 cup soft light brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 2 cups plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp nutmeg

Method

• Pre heat the oven to 180c
• Line 2 x 2lb loaf tins ,I use the ready made ones (i buy them from the £1 shop)
• In a bowl whisk the eggs, coconut oil, yogurt, sugar and vanilla paste until well incorporated.
• Now sieve in the flour, nutmeg, baking powder and soda, mix gentle and then stir in the crushed banana
• Pour the batter into the lined tins and bake for about 40 -45 minutes until tested cooked with a skewer
• Cool initially in the tin and then on a wire rack
• Stores well wrapped in foil or alternatively freezes beautifully.

Detail: Another banana loaf