Sugar Free Banana Bread ( cake ) and Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

Sugar Free Banana Cake with Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

I know what you all really want.... dessert! I was thinking about frosting the other day. I never really liked it until last year. Unfortunately, I developed a taste for it because I did the baking at the last two chef jobs I had and started playing around with flavors and fun combinations. Bummer man!  Vegan frosting is still totally unhealthy and full of crap. I'm of the belief that Earth Balance is fairly processed and not good for you, but boy oh boy; add non-hydrogenated shortening along with powdered sugar, liquid and spices and you have yourself a hella good frosting.

Over the summer, I created a chocolate frosting using black beans for one of my cakes at work.It was more of a glaze/ganache and it went over really well. I served it over my low fat, lower sugar chocolate/zucchini spice cake. Spiked  with nutmeg and orange zest,  it was a fun taste experience and a little healthier that the vegan buttercream I usually used. 

Fast forward several months; while making hummus the other day, I realized that it was the perfect texture for frosting. I knew I had to mask the beany flavor and I wanted to make it with the staples I had on hand. Chocolate and peanut butter go hand in hand, so I figured I would create a dessert hummus and see how it worked. 

And work it did. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Frosting

1 c hot white beans ( drained of liquid )

½ c peanut butter

1/3 c hot coffee

1/3 c cocoa powder

Decent pinch salt

¾ c sugar

1 t balsamic vinegar 

Blend everything in a food processor until completely smooth.  Please make sure to use the balsamic vinegar or this frosting won’t taste right. Trust me, even if it sounds weird. Allow the mixture to sit overnight to allow the flavors to mingle. 

Other uses:

Use as a filling for chocolate tarts ( use 1 c peanut butter in recipe )

Thin it out with non-dairy milk or coconut milk for a rich chocolate sauce

Puree with frozen banana for a delicious chocolate banana peanut butter cold pudding ice

Tip: use smooth peanut butter for a better texture

Now you have your frosting, but where's the cake? I am sharing one of my favorite recipes. I have tweaked this for years and it is finally perfect! Cooking time can vary depending on your oven, so make to test it with a toothpick. You want it to JUST COME OUT ALMOST CLEAN if that makes sense? It is important to allow this cake/bread to cool before cutting. 

This is a gluten free recipe, but you could make it with whole wheat flour. 

Sugar Free Banana Raisin Bread ( Cake )

½ c golden flax meal

1. 5 c rice milk

1 t vinegar

¾ c oil or ½ c applesauce  and ¼ c oil 

4 large bananas

½ t Kal  stevia powder

 2 t Vanilla

½ c shredded unsweetened coconut

2 c bobs red mill gluten free all purpose baking mix 

 1 t Nutmeg 

 ¼ t Cardamom

1 c raisins

1 T cinnamon

Pinch salt 

1 T baking powder

Method: Pre-heat oven to  375

Combine the flax, milk, vinegar, oil, applesauce if using, bananas, stevia and vanilla in a mixing bowl and mix well. 

Make a well and add the flour, spices, salt and baking powder. Mix very well, until all of the lumps are gone

Pour into a greased 9 by 13 baking pan

Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Spin the pan after 20 minutes. 

Allow bread to cool for at least an hour before eating. Cut into 12 squares

ENJOY!

For Carrot Cake Raisin Bread, replace the bananas with 3 c shredded carrots

Just a note, I have been experimenting with using psyllium husk instead of flax in baking. The cake I made in the picture was made with the psyllium and it worked really well! That will be a post in itself for the future.

You can eat the Banana Bread ( cake ) with peanut butter as a healthy breakfast or add some frosting for a decadent dessert. One tip, if you are frosting the cake, grate some fresh nutmeg over your piece and sprinkle it with coconut. It reminds me of a donut. 

I have frozen half of the frosting to see how it holds up. I'll let you know when I defrost it. 

If you try either of these recipes please let me know how they work for you!