Banana Pound Cake (vegan)

I love how four rotten bananas can make you get creative in the kitchen. I have had these rotten bananas hanging out for days. I even thought to myself how I didn't have time to use them, so I even threw them in the trash at one point, and then after a few minutes told myself, "You are crazy! Why are you throwing away perfectly rotten bananas?!" Well, I dug out from the trash and saved those bananas. And then decided I needed to make it worth while in eating them by making something special. I started thinking... banana cornbread, hm, that might be yummy. I had a taste for cornbread for some reason, so I thought, why not... bananas and cornbread, it could work. So I started making this recipe...

But why am I calling this pound cake then? I mean, it is cornbread with banana isn't it? Well, yeah, so it could be called Banana Cornbread if you want too, but after my family eating almost the whole loaf in a day I can say that it tastes to me like good old fashioned pound cake. It is moist and thick. You can to chew and swallow it like you really mean it, and there is no dry flaky crumbs to have to deal with. It is wonderfully perfect for a winter day as today. Something to keep us cozy and warm. Something to make again and again...

So, my friends, I share this new recipe with you because I have fallen off the wagon for it. I love how simple, and sweet, and healthy it is. No sugar, no dairy, and even no eggs in this one. The coconut milk and bananas keep it moist and chewy. The agave and bananas make it simply and perfectly sweet. And the corn meal and corn flour add a dimension you just have to try. So, I share it with you because I love you, and I want you to experience gluten and dairy free baking like you never have before...

Banana Pound Cake Recipe

1/4 cup millet flour

1/4 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/2 cup corn flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

2 ts. of baking powder

1 ts. of baking soda

1/2 ts. of sea salt

1 ts. of xanthan gum

1 ts. of pure vanilla

1/2 cup So Delicious coconut milk (or other non-dairy milk) (add 2 Tb of lemon juice to the milk in a separate bowl to make a buttermilk, cultured type of milk, and let sit for 10 minutes before mixing with the rest of the batter)

1/4 cup of agave nectar

1/4 cup of apple juice

1 1/4 cup of ripened banana puree (I used 4 small ripe bananas)

1/3 cup of homemade applesauce

1/3 cup of melted coconut oil (and some more for the pan)

First, pour 1/2 cup of the non-dairy milk in a bowl with 2 TB of lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar would work if you do not have a lemon). Let this milk mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to form a buttermilk like liquid to eventually mix with the whole batter. Then, mix all of the flours and dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and then you can add the rest of the wet ingredients. Lastly add the banana and the coconut milk lemon mixture and mix well. Let it start to rise and foam a bit from the baking powder and soda and then oil a traditional bread pan, or a 8x8 cake pan(square or circle) and pour in the batter. Smoothy out the top with a spatula because it will bake how it looks. The put in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 40-45 minutes. Until the top is golden brown and the middle can be tested with a pick to make sure there is no gooey middle in the pan.

Let the bread/cake sit for a few minutes to cool before cutting into. It is so yummy I dare you to keep your fingers out of it for at least 5 minutes. Then, cut into, serve and enjoy. I loved this cake so much that I have been thinking on how I am going to double the batter and make it into a birthday cake someday. It is that fabulous. So, I guess stay tuned for that post...:)

In the meantime, I will be staying inside (or may go out a shovel the 5-6 inches of snow that is coming down) on this blustering cold snowy day. Perhaps a nice cup of tea is in my future, and maybe another small piece of banana pound cake. So divine. :)

I hope you enjoy and have a beautiful day.

Much love to you-

Stephanie