Vegan banana bread & cashew cream frosting

August 13, 2017August 14, 20176 Comments

Another Sunday, another recipe! Lately, I’ve really been enjoying plant-based eating more so than my usual vegetarian diet, and so I’ve filtered this into this week’s bake. I absolutely adore banana bread, so I figured a vegan-friendly version would be a quick and easy go-to for anyone wanting to experiment with baking with substitues.

A note on the ingredients – I’ve left out the eggs and butter, instead opting for the classic ‘flaxseed egg’ and dairy-free butter which both work a treat. The cake itself is quite close textured and dense because of the wholemeal flour, and the addition of soft, chewy dates gives a subtle caramel sweetness. The finishing touch is the fluffy cashew cream frosting which is super simple to make and the perfect substitue for mascarpone, traditional butter icing or cream cheese.

Serves 8-10 | Prep: 15 mins | Cooking: 1 hour

For the cake batter:

100g (organic) self-raising flour
100g (organic) wholemeal flour
100g soft brown sugar
200g dairy-free butter (Pure, Flora or Vital are good brands)
2 over ripe bananas, mashed
10 soft pitted dates, chopped
2 grated carrots
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tbsp vegetable or rapeseed oil
2 tbsp ground flaxseeds
1/4 cup water

For the frosting:

50g dairy-free butter
100g icing sugar
100g soaked cashew nuts
1/4 cup non-dairy milk (soy, almond or oat)
Zest of 1 lemon

Step one: Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Grease and line a 20cm loaf tin. Set aside.

Step two: In a large mixing bowl, add the flours, baking powder, salt and spices and mix well. In a smaller bowl, add flaxseeds and water and leave for 5 minutes to thicken.

Step three: In a seperate bowl, cream the butter and sugar until creamy or use an electric mixer. Add the ‘flaxseed egg’, oil, grated carrot and chopped dates, then mix well.

Step four: Blend the bananas for 1 minute or mash well by hand. Add to the wet ingredient mixture.

Step five: Add the dry ingredients to the wet bit by bit, ensuring you continue to mix well for an even finish. You should have a thick consistency that coats the back of a spoon. Pour into your lined tine and bake for approx 1 hour. You can adjust the temperature if the cake browns too much on top. The knife test will check the centre is cooked through.

Step six: Blend the softened cashews and milk until a thick yet smooth texture is achieved. Set aside.

Step seven: In a bowl, cream the butter and icing sugar until whipped and smooth. Add the cashew mixture and set aside in the fridge to keep cool.

Step eight: Once the cake has cooled, finish with the frosting and grated lemon zest to serve. Et voila!

Zesty orange & almond cake with coconut frosting

January 10, 2016August 14, 20171 Comment

When I’m reading articles, magazines and watching cooking videos for inspiration and new techniques, I often come across this classic bake and I’ve been wanting to try it out for a while. The thing is, I’m not keen on orange within cooking so I was always put off making this myself – that was until I tried it at one of my favourite Lebanese restaurants in London – Comptoir Libanais. I was pleasantly surprised at how subtle the orange flavour actually was, so here is my variation on the delicious wheat and gluten free cake.

The thing I love about this cake is how simple it is to make and the moist, dense texture the ground almonds give once baked. If you want a healthy alternative to traditional sponge bases, then definitely give this zesty cake a try! The addition of coconut in the frosting takes the flavour to a new level, complimenting the fruity orange and nutty almonds.

I’m trying out a new 24mm lens here, so do let me know if you like the photo quality a little more!

Serves 8 | Prep: 15mins Cooking: 40mins

For the cake:

• 200g demerera sugar
• 200g unsalted butter
• 150g ground almonds
• 150g fine polenta
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 baking powder
• Zest and juice of one whole orange

For the syrup:

• Juice from half an orange
• 1 tsp demerera sugar
• 2 tsp good quality runny honey
• 1/4 cup cold water
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the frosting:

• 180g tub soft cream cheese
• 1 tsp creamed coconut
• 1 tsp good quality runny honey
• 2 tbsp unsweetened desicated coconut

Step one: Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees. Line and greese a 20cm round tin and set aside.

Step two: In a mixer, blend the sugar and butter for 5 minutes until creamy. Add the eggs one by one.

Step three: Add the polenta, ground almonds and baking soda and whisk until well combined. Grate the orange zest in and add the juice before giving a final mix by hand.

Step four: Pour the mix evenly into the tin and bake for 40 minutes until golden brown and firm to touch.

Step five: In a small saucepan heat the water, orange juice, sugar and honey on a medium heat until reduced and coats the back of a spoon. This should take 3-4 minutes. Add the vanilla extract and set aside until the cake is cooked.

Step six: Whilst the cake is still hot, prick several times with a fork then pour the syrup over the cake and leave to cool.

Step seven: In a small bowl, mix all of the frosting ingredients together until smooth.

Step eight: Smooth the frosting evenly over the cake with a knife and sprinkle with orange zest. Cut into slices and serve cold.

Salon du Chocolat

October 22, 2015October 22, 2015Leave a comment

Is anyone else desperate for the weekend? A repeat of last weekend would be greatly appreciated and might just give me a little motivation to reach Friday! For the third year, The Chocolate Show returned to West London’s Olympia National for the UK’s biggest chocolate event. Three days of pure indulgence from 16th – 18th October. I’d never been before, but this year I thought I’d end Chocolate Week on a high and give my usual Sunday activities a miss. I quite enjoy these kind of exhibitions with various stalls and interesting things to look at and of course try – there’s always a real excitement in the air.

The event itself was teaming with people, from couples and families, to bloggers, students and tourists armed with their Canons and mouths full. There was a press room in one corner and a fashion show on the other. Who ever knew clothes could be made out of chocolate!? I spent the afternoon milling around watching live demonstrations, trying decadent chocolates and sweets and learnt about the chocolate making process from bean to bar. I tasted liquid chocolate from a tap (literally!), tried Magnum’s brand new premium range, talked with several international vendors and generally soaked up the atmosphere!

A few stand out places included the insanely good salted caramel brownie from Bad Brownie (pictured above), one of my favourite French brands Valrhona, the beautifully packaged Rococo Chocolate and every travellers essential read, Food and Travel Magazine. It was an insightful day to say the least and for the avid chocolate lover, it’s definitely worth the £12.50 ticket whether you want to learn more about the craft or just experience a different side of London’s food culture. Here’s a few snaps from the day… enjoy!

Blueberry, lemon & coconut loaf cake

January 12, 2015March 11, 20155 Comments

I’ll admit. I have holiday blues, big time. I’ve had a few weeks off from blogging and life in general with an amazing couple of weeks spent in Jamaica with the family. New Years saw me return to my home town of Birmingham to spend it in good tradition with my best girlfriends (which involved a lot of excited conversations, good food, relentless dancing and minimal sleep) and finally, quality time with my extended family. It was a much anticipated and relaxed Christmas and New Years for me, but now my working life in London is back in full swing. And so is Not Without Cake. I have missed my kitchen!

While I was away enjoying home comforts, I did the age old thing of trying to set myself some realistic resolutions for 2015, many of which were around the whole staying organised, using my (very sophisticated) diary type of thing and continuing to travel the globe. I also said I wanted to get over my dislike of certain foods. I’m all for trying new things in a bid to stay healthy and cultured, but there some things I’ve never enjoyed. This recipe involves blueberries; one of the dreaded fruits I disliked. I researched a few recipes for a light blueberry based cake because I wanted to try something for the blog and with a few adaptations, I made this loaf cake. I have to say, I have done a 360 degree turn around and will definitely make this again.

With the lightest of textures, it’s jam packed with fresh blueberries, coconut and lemon zest which is a dreamy combo. I also added soya yogurt for extra lightness to cut the rich fruitiness and it produced the most wonderful bake. If you don’t like blueberries on their own, try this recipe and you might just be converted too.

Serves 8 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cooking: 40 minutes

For the cake:

2 large eggs
100g soft light brown sugar
150g softened butter
200g self raising flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
200g fresh blueberries
50g sweetened desiccated coconut
1 whole lemon
1 cup soya yogurt or plain Greek yogurt

Step one: Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Greese and line a 20 cm loaf tin with baking paper.

Step two: In a mixer or bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until combined. Melt the butter for 60 seconds in the microwave or on the hob until there are no lumps. Add this to the eggs and sugar.

Step three: Gradually add the flour and baking powder to the batter until completely smooth.

Step four: Add the washed blueberries whole, along with the coconut and zest of one lemon. The juice is optional but I omit the juice because the yogurt will cut the sweetness.

Step five: Lastly, spoon in the yogurt and combine evenly, without crushing the blueberries. The batter should be smooth and thick enough to cover the back of the spoon.

Step six: Bake for approx 40 minutes or until the top is browned and a knife runs clean from the cake. Leave to cool for 15-20 minutes before eating.