Banana walnut cake ~ NO MAIDA NO SUGAR RECIPE

We all have the habit of buying banana and then leaving it on the counter for days together, completely forgetting about it's existence 😆 Buying fruits inorder to stay healthy and then leaving it on for days together until it turns too ripe to consume 🙈 Arrgghhhh.. I do this very frequently 🙈 Do you? 

If you are someone like me, then this healthy, quick to make recipe is just the perfect find for you. Because this recipe uses well riped bananas that has turned black on the outside yet sweet and ripe.

One more great edge this recipe gives is that it uses ingredients that are not refined.. whole wheat as the base, jaggery and banana as the sweetener and walnuts for that extra crunch. It's totally healthy and extremely tasty making it the new favourite for your entire family. And the advantage of it being a no maida no sugar recipe, you can give it to your kids without any guilt or second thoughts. This will definitely make a good after school snack 😋

Recipe courtesy : Gayathri Kumar

So without any further delay let's dive right into the ingredients list followed by the recipe itself.

Ingredients :

* Whole wheat flour - 100gms / 1 cup - 2 tsp*

* Ripe bananas - 125gms - 2 medium size banana

* Powdered Jaggery/Cane sugar/ Brown sugar - 65 gms 1/4 cup + 1 tsp

* Milk - 100 ml / 1/2 cup - 1 tbsp*

* Oil - 50 ml / 1/4 cup - 2tsp

* Baking powder - 1 tsp

* Baking soda - 1/2 tsp

* Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

* Walnuts - 50 gms 

* Vinegar - 1 tsp

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR: Whole wheat flour is used as the base for this recipe. I have used Sharbati atta. Make sure to sift the flour 3 to 4 times, as sifting of flour will help to aerate the flour which thereby results in a soft, fluffy cake. 

RIPE BANANA: Make sure to use ripe bananas, which are black on the outside. Ripe bananas are usually sweet, which in this case helps as a natural sweetener. 

POWDERED JAGGERY/ CANE SUGAR/ BROWN SUGAR:  I have used powdered jaggery as the sweetener in this recipe. You can also use cane sugar or brown sugar. Incase you are using powdered jaggery or came sugar, make sure it has no dirt or dust in it.

MILK: Using milk in a recipe will result in a rich cake. I have used 4% fat milk. You can use any milk of your choice. But a higher fat percentage milk will result in a sumptuous cake.

OIL: I have used a neutral oil as fat here. Oil based cakes are usually soft and fluffy even when stored in a refrigerator. I have used odorless refined sunflower oil. You can use any neutral oil for this recipe. 

BAKING POWDER: Baking powder is a leavening agent used here. It helps the cake to rise properly. 

BAKING SODA: Baking soda is also a leavening agent used in this recipe. It helps to result in a fluffy cake.

VANILLA: Vanilla is the flavouring agent used in this recipe. The divine aroma of vanilla when combined with the natural flavour of banana just gives a burst of flavours in your mouth, when you take a bite of this cake. You can also add a small dab of banana flavour essence or extract for that extra punch of Banana flavour.

WALNUTS: Walnuts always gets along so well with banana. It gives a great flavour to the cake in addition to that crunch that you get in every bite. But it is completely optional. 

VINEGAR: Using vinegar in cake recipes will help the cake to rise well. It also helps in creating a tender and moist crumb.

Now that we have seen the specific use of each of the ingredients, let's get into the detailed steps in making this cake.

STEP-BY-STEP PICTORIAL REPRESENTATION 

Step 1 : Into a sieve, add whole wheat flour, Baking powder and Baking soda. Sift the ingredients well two to three times. This is the dry ingredients mix. Set it aside.

Step 2 : Into another bowl add the ripe bananas. With the help of a fork, mash the bananas. Once they are finely mashed add Vanilla and combine. 

Step 3 : Into the same mixture add neutral oil and milk one after another. Mix it well with the help of a whisk and combine. 

Step 4 : Once they are well combined add powdered jaggery. Mix it well to dissolve the jaggery. After dissolving the jaggery, add chopped walnuts and mix. This is the wet ingredients mixture. Set it aside.

Step 5 : Now add a teaspoon of vinegar to this wet ingredients mix. It will become frothy. Mix it well to combine.

Step 6 : It is now time to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients mix. Slowly add the dry mix into the wet mix. With the help of a spatula start folding it gently. Remember to use cut and fold method* to combine the ingredients. 

Without over mixing them combine only until they get together to form a batter* 

Step 7 : Meanwhile, grease and line a 6 inches cake tin with parchment paper. Dust the tin and keep it ready. Also, preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes.

Step 8 : Transfer the batter on to the cake tin. Level it evenly with the help of a spatula. Now, tap it on the counter a few times to remove any air bubble. 

Top the cake batter with some walnuts and chocochip if you desire. 

Step 9 : Now, place the tin into the oven and bake @ 180°C for 35 - 45 minutes*

Insert the toothpick to check the doneness of the cake. If the toothpick inserted comes out clean, it means the cake is completely baked. If not, pop the cake tin into the oven for a few more minutes until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. It took 37 minutes for me to get this done. 

Once the cake is fully baked, let it sit in the tin for 5 - 10 minutes after it is taken out of the oven. After 5 - 10 minutes, slide a palette knife onto the sides of the cake tin to slowly demold the cake. Transfer it onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely. Once the cake is completely cooled, slice them into smaller pieces. Enjoy this delicious, healthy, sumptuous cake alongside a cup of hot coffee or tea or any other beverage of your choice. As said earlier, this cake will make a perfect, guilt-free after school snack for your kid. 

Try this recipe today, and let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Leave feedback if any !! 

NOTES: (*)

1. Sifting of wheat flour :  In any recipe, it is important to sift the dry ingredients before incorporating the wet ingredients. Especially when using whole wheat flour, make sure to sift the dry ingredients atleast 3 to 4 times. Sifting of flour aerates it, making sure you get a spongy, fluffy cake.

2. Cut and fold method - Cut and fold method is a simple way to mix the dry ingredients along with the wet ingredients. Using this method ensures that the batter is mixed only until well combined. This method ensures that the batter is not over mixed.

3. Baking time: Remember that the baking time will vary from oven to oven. For me it took 37 minutes to get this baked completely. But keep an eye from 32 minutes as it could take more or less time than mine.

4. Dry ingredients and wet ingredients: Prepare the wet mix separately and soft the dry ingredients separately. Then combine them both. 

5. Tsp - means TEASPOON and TBSP - means TABLESPOON

6. 1 CUP = 240ML

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Eggless Ragi Cookies 

Eggless Peanut Butter Chocochunk Cookies

Karachi Bakery biscuits (Tutti Fruity Cookies)

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See you all very soon with another delicious and interesting recipe. Until then this is HARINI from The Theory of Bakin'. Happy Baking!!!

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RECIPE CARD:

Banana Walnut Cake (Eggless, Maida and  Sugar free) Description: Soft, fluffy, spongy cake filled with bits of crunchy walnuts and soaked in banana flavour. Prep Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 35 - 50 minutes Total Time: 1 hour + Minutes Makes:  ½ kg cake Ingredients : * Whole wheat flour - 100 gms / 1 cup - 2 tsp * Ripe bananas - 125gms - 2 medium size banana * Powdered Jaggery/Cane sugar/ Brown sugar - 65 gms 1/4 cup + 1 tsp * Milk - 100 ml / 1/2 cup - 1 tbsp * Oil - 50 ml / 1/4 cup - 2 tsp * Baking powder - 1 tsp * Baking soda - 1/2 tsp * Vanilla essence - 1 tsp * Walnuts - 50 gms  * Vinegar - 1 tsp INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Into a sieve, add whole wheat flour, Baking powder and Baking soda. Sift the ingredients well two to three times. This is the dry ingredients mix. Set it aside.   2. Into another bowl add the ripe bananas. With the help of a fork, mash the bananas. Once they are finely mashed add Vanilla and combine.      3. Into the same mixture add neutral oil and milk one after another. Mix it well with the help of a whisk and combine.    4. Once they are well combined add powdered jaggery. Mix it well to dissolve the jaggery. After dissolving the jaggery, add chopped walnuts and mix. This is the wet ingredients mixture. Set it aside.   5. Now add a teaspoon of vinegar to this wet ingredients mix. It will become frothy. Mix it well to combine.   6. It is now time to mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients mix. Slowly add the dry mix into the wet mix. With the help of a spatula start folding it gently. Remember to use cut and fold method* to combine the ingredients. Without over mixing them combine only until they get together to form a batter*    7. Meanwhile, grease and line a 6 inches cake tin with parchment paper. Dust the tin and keep it ready. Also, preheat the oven to 180°C for 10 minutes.   8. Transfer the batter onto the cake tin. Level it evenly with the help of a spatula. Now, tap it on the counter a few times to remove any air bubble. Top the cake batter with some walnuts and chocochip if you desire.    9. Now, place the tin into the oven and bake @ 180°C for 35 - 45 minutes*   10. Insert the toothpick to check the doneness of the cake. If the toothpick inserted comes out clean, it means the cake is completely baked. If not, pop the cake tin into the oven for a few more minutes until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. It took 37 minutes for me to get this done.    11. Once the cake is fully baked, let it sit in the tin for 5 - 10 minutes after it is taken out of the oven. After 5 - 10 minutes, slide a palette knife onto the sides of the cake tin to slowly demold the cake. Transfer it onto a cooling rack and let it cool completely.   NOTES: (*) 1. Sifting of wheat flour :  In any recipe, it is important to sift the dry ingredients before incorporating the wet ingredients. Especially when using whole wheat flour, make sure to sift the dry ingredients atleast 3 to 4 times. Sifting of flour aerates it, making sure you get a spongy, fluffy cake. 2. Cut and fold method - Cut and fold method is a simple way to mix the dry ingredients along with the wet ingredients. Using this method ensures that the batter is mixed only until well combined. This method ensures that the batter is not over mixed. 3. Baking time: Remember that the baking time will vary from oven to oven. For me it took 37 minutes to get this baked completely. But keep an eye from 32 minutes as it could take more or less time than mine. 4. Dry ingredients and wet ingredients: Prepare the wet mix separately and soft the dry ingredients separately. Then combine them both.  5. Tsp - means TEASPOON and TBSP - means TABLESPOON 6. 1 CUP = 240ML