Here's how to make a moist and flavourful, allergy-friendly banana cake with dairy-free cream cheese icing:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1.5 cups)
1/2 cup dairy-free milk + 1/2 tbsp. of white vinegar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups gluten-free flour blend (I used Robin Hood Gluten-free)
1 tsp. xanthan gum (optional)
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
3⁄4 cups dairy-free butter
1 1/2 tbsp. dairy-free milk
1/2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 tsp. salt
4 cups powdered sugar (sifted)
- Preheat oven to 375F.
- Mash bananas with a fork in a bowl and set aside.
- In large mixing bowl, add dairy-free milk and vinegar, and allow to curdle for about a minute.
- Add the mashed banana, sugar, vegetable oil, applesauce and vanilla to the mixing bowl. Mix well with a spatula until sugar dissolves.
- In a separate bowl, sift the remaining dry ingredients together.
- Slowly stir in the dry ingredients with the banana mixture until fully mixed in.
For cupcakes (makes 18 large cupcakes):
- Grease a large muffin pan, or line with baking cups.
- Use an ice cream scooper to distribute the batter evenly across the muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted through the middle of the cupcakes comes out clean.
For large cake or bundt cake:
- Grease springform pan or bundt cake pan.
- Pour batter into pan and distribute evenly.
- Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted through the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool completely on a wire rack, and then top with dairy-free cream "cheese" icing (recipe to follow).
- Bring dairy-free butter to room temperature.
- Beat the dairy-free butter for 1 minute in large bowl of standing mixer, until fluffy.
- Add dairy-free milk, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, lemon juice and salt. Beat for an additional minute or until fully blended.
- Add sifted powdered sugar slowly. Continue to beat the icing until light and fluffy.
Note: If the frosting is too thick, add in some extra milk to thin. If the frosting is too thin, add in more powdered sugar to thicken.
Pauline Osena is a food allergy advocate and founder of HypeFoodie.com, an online resource for allergy-friendly living. This former dairy junkie became an expert in allergy-friendly cuisine while figuring out how to feed her child with multiple food allergies. Pauline aims to inspire culinary adventures and experimentation with her series, "An Allergy-Friendly Makeover," and shares the valuable knowledge she has gained from her trials, errors and adventures in living with food allergies with "The Allergy-Friendly Top 10." Pauline's short-term goals include getting a full night's sleep and drinking her entire cup of coffee while hot.
Also on HuffPost