Besan flour, banana and choc chip loaf - gluten free

Well we are still in banana cake mode here as I  hate to see them go to waste and the fruit bowl every week seems to contain at least one unloved spotty specimen. I like to ring the changes when it comes to recipes, so this recipe is another gluten free one featured bananas.

I wanted to experiment with cake making using besan flour, naturally gluten free, this earthy high protein high fibre flour is made from chickpeas and some times lentils or other beans. This flour is much more cost effective when compared with other gluten free flours and I am pleased to say produces a very tasty bake too, no hint of  lentil or chickpea at all.

Its moist and decadent and the loaf has just the right amount of sweetness and the chocolate chips provide just the right amount of chocolately flavours in every bite.

What you need

• 2 large very ripe bananas- mashed
• 3/4 cup of Thick live yogurt
• 1 egg - free range
• 1/2 cup light brown soft sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla paste
• 1/3 cup coconut oil - melted
• 1 1/2 cups besan flour (different brands have different mixes, mine was chickpea and lentil, some are just chickpea) - above all check gluten free if required most are
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 pkt of dark chocolate chips

What you do

• Pre heat the oven to 180c and prepare your loaf tin, either oil spray or base line a 2lb loaf tin
• In your mixer blend the bananas, yogurt and egg, until well combined and the mixture is creamy.
• Seive the besan flour, baking powder, bicarb, salt and cinnamon on to the wet mixture, incorporate using a wire ballon whisk to retain the air in the mixture.
• Stir in the chocolate chips and pour the batter into your prepared tin, smooth the top
• Place in the oven and bake for approximately 50 minutes until well risen and golden. Test with a skewer to ensure done.
• Cool initially in the tin for 10 minutes and then remove to cool fully on a wire rack.
• Store in an airtight tin
• Freezes well when double wrapped

                                       

We are linking up to Love Cake this month, created and hosted at JibberJabberUk, the theme this month being in the words of the lovely Toyah "Its a Mystery !" as besan flour isn't usually used in cake baking.

                                                           

And recipe of the week , over on A Mummy Too

Brazilian banana and chocolate chip tapioca cake - gluten free

This cake is a Brazilian love affair, made with tapioca flour (a staple in Brazil), bananas (10% of the worlds banana's are produced in Brazil) and chocolate (Brazil being the 6th largest producer of Cocoa bean in the world) this cake is my World Cup recipe. Personally I can't stand football and I would rather watch paint dry so I thought I try to get in the spirit of things by baking a cake that takes it inspiration from the country of Brazil.

Bahia, Sao Paulo, Brasilia are all mentioned in the classic track by "Brazilian Love Affair" by George Duke which I recall being played over and over by elder soul / jazz funk loving sister when I was a child and it all seamed so exotic and tropical, so here are some of the flavours of Brazil in cake form.

Happily for me Tapioca flour is naturally gluten free so is a great flour to be baking with here, fairly easily obtainable mail order or in your local health food shop.

This image is an image of an image of the cake on a tablet pc, Mr Lancashire Food being very creative ! when it comes to food photography.

What you need

• 2/3 cup tapioca flour
• 1 1/3 cup brown rice flour
• 3 large ripe bananas - mashed
• 1/2 cup oil - Coconut oil is nice but regular sunflower would work here too
• 1 cup soft brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon (cardamon would also be good)
• 2 eggs - free range
• 1/2 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 bag of dark chocolate chips (I always toss in a little of the flour to prevent them from sinking too much)

This recipe makes 2 x 2lb loaf tin cakes, I used the ready to use liners but you could lightly oil and base line instead.

What you do 

• Pre heat the oven to 180c 
• Whisk up the sugar, eggs and oil until light and frothy, add the rest of the ingredients except the choc chips.
• Stir in until you have a smoothish mixture and then stir in the choc chips 
• Pour in the prepare tin, smooth level and bake for 50 - 55 minutes until golden and test cooked with a skewer
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes or so in the tins and then remove to a cooling rack.
• The flavour of the cake develops more fully the day after baking.

A delicious cake inspired by Brazil, it has a wonderful crumb structure and is not dry or gritty as often cakes containing rice flour can be. 

I'm adding this post to Bake of the week over on Casa Costello