Banana cake with cashew nuts

Last weekend, feeling better after a cold, I was in the mood for some baking: the days were cold, so turning the oven on was a very nice thing to do. I had a few bananas getting super brown on the counter and knew that they deserved to be used in something delicious, that is why I baked a banana cake with cashew nuts – I took the cake to the office on Monday, and it was a huge hit with my coworkers.

A week or so before I had bought some ingredients with a very nice baking session in mind, and after deciding to make a banana cake I grabbed the cashew nut flour and the salted, toasted cashew nuts to incorporate them into my recipe.

The cake turned out absolutely tender and moist, because of the addition of the nut flour and yogurt, and with that kind of deeply banana flavor that can only be achieved by using really ripe bananas.

I poured a quite simple glaze on the cooled cake and sprinkled it all with the chopped toasted cashew nuts – the cake turned out beautiful and the combo of flavors was spot on. The batter is prepared like a muffin batter, so no need to use a mixer or any other equipment.

When I saw the cake, I thought “well, that is a LOT of cake”, but when I saw my coworkers raving about it (and some of them getting seconds), I knew it was the right amount. 😊

 

Banana cake with cashew nuts

own recipe

 

Cake:

1 ½ cups (210g) all-purpose flour

¾ cup (75g) cashew nut flour (replace with almond flour if you like)

1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon table salt

4 medium very ripe bananas (400g/14oz unpeeled)

1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (total of 78g) granulated sugar

2 tablespoons (26g) light brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup (85g) plain yogurt (no sugar added)

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

¼ cup (60ml) neutral vegetable oil

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 teaspoons Frangelico or Amaretto – optional; they enhance the nut flavor

 

Glaze:

1 cup (140g) icing sugar

2 ½ tablespoons milk

 

Finishing touches:

½ cup (70g) salted, toasted cashew nuts, chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350°F. Line a 20x30cm (8x12in) baking pan with foil and brush the foil with oil.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, the cashew nut flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mash the bananas with a fork until you get a rustic purée. Add the sugars, yogurt, butter, oil, eggs, vanilla and Frangelico/Amaretto (if using) and whisk well. Add the dry ingredients and whisk again to incorporate – do not overmix. Pour batter into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake for 30-35 minutes or until risen and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely over a wire rack.

Glaze: sift the icing sugar into a small bowl and gradually add the milk, whisking until you get the desired consistency. Pour over the cooled cake and spread it evenly. Sprinkle with the toasted nuts.

 

Makes 24

Chocolate berry pots

It has been so insanely hot here in São Paulo lately, in the middle of the winter, to the point of affecting my mood: I know that not everyone is into cold days like me, and I also know that I live in a tropical country where it feels like summer 9 months per year, but the three winter months have been my refuge since I was a kid, the part of the year when I felt better, energized, happy about the weather. That is over, and it might be over forever, which makes me really, really sad. 

Having said that, those of you who have been around for long know that I make warm desserts even with temperatures above 30°C (86°F) and I also have to tell you that I have soup for dinner even in the summer (and I don’t like cold soups): last Saturday I made two huge pots of soup and frozen them for the week. Having soup for dinner and sweating, but all good. 😊

These chocolate pots are a very easy to make dessert, are ready very quickly and they’re delicious too! They are creamy in the middle, like chocolate fondants, and have a brownie-like crust around – I used berries and white chocolate to make them richer (I always have these berries in my freezer to make smoothies), but of course you can make the recipe without them, and also replace the white chocolate with milk chocolate, for instance.

 

Chocolate berry pots

own recipe

 

¼ cup (35g) all purpose flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

pinch of salt

50g dark chocolate, chopped

3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, chopped (at room temperature it will melt faster)

¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar

1 large egg, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ cup (42g) white chocolate chips (feel free to use chopped white chocolate if you prefer)

50g frozen berries, unthawed

 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Butter three ½ cup capacity ovenproof ramekins.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a small heatproof bowl, combine the dark chocolate and butter, place it over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bottom of the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted. Remove from the heat and let it cool slightly. When lukewarm, add the sugar and whisk very well. Add the egg and whisk vigorously – the batter will become shiny and thick. Whisk in the vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients and mix with a spatula until incorporated. Stir in the white chocolate and the berries and then divide the batter evenly among the ramekins – you can add a few more berries on top if you like before baking. Place the ramekins in a baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with a little batter on it (the pots are creamy on the center, like chocolate fondants).

Remove from the oven, let it cool for about 10 minutes and serve – you can place each ramekin in a small dish to serve and avoid burned fingers. 😊

Serves 3