A birthday cake recipe that is not only sugar free, but sweetener free as well. Sweetened solely using fresh whole fruit, this cake is perfect for young kids' birthdays for parents who don't feel that a birthday cake has to have sugar! So healthy you could even have it as banana muffins for breakfast! ;)
- 2 1/2 large ripe bananas***, mashed (should weigh about 250-300g before peeling)
- 60 g (1/4 cup) yogurt (full-fat dairy or unsweetened non-dairy)
- 125 ml (1/2 cup) coconut water*
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 210g g (1 1/2 cups) gluten free or plain/all purpose (or better yet, wholemeal) flour (see notes for a coconut flour option**)
- 115 g (1 cup) ground almonds (almond meal) - or use another 115g (3/4 cup) flour (not quite as sweet, but still soft and fluffy!)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
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Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.
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Mix the bananas, yogurt, coconut water, eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl until as smooth and combined as possible.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together the other ingredients.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just combined and there are no more visible flecks of flour.
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Pour into two 8" sandwich cake tins or a 12-hole muffin tin lined with cupcake cases and bake for 20 mins or until slightly golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
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If you prefer to ice the cupcakes, you could simply dust (very) lightly with icing sugar, coconut flour or cocoa powder. Other great frostings include: whipped cream cheese mixed with orange or lemon/lime zest, whipped heavy cream (double cream), or no-added sugar peanut butter beaten with a little unsalted butter (and cocoa powder, if you like).
*you can use tap water/milk/coconut milk, but I found coconut water a great way to naturally add extra sweetness
**one reader has successfully adapted this recipe with coconut flour for gluten free/low carb cakes and kindly shared the conversions with us: "I used 1 cup of coconut flour, a whole cup of coconut milk rather than water, and 2 more eggs. I also had to cook them for about 30 minutes instead of 20, but they came out beautifully!"
***not a banana fan? Try subbing with about 150g (2/3 cup) applesauce or roasted pear puree if you prefer - it won't be quite as sweet, so adding a small handful of raisins or a couple of drops stevia may make it a little sweeter if you feel it needs it