GLUTEN FREE BANANA AND WALNUT CAKE

In making cakes for a recent cake stall I took on the task of baking for people who like a slice of cake but need it to be gluten free.  This banana and walnut cake turned out really well using Doves Farm gluten free flour.

I didn't get to taste it but it smelled lovely when baked and it seemed nice and moist when I sliced it to serve to customers.  Sometimes gluten free cakes can seem a bit dry and crumbly.  Doves Farm gluten free self raising flour already contains xantham gum, something which helps to avoid the sandy, crumbly texture.

I do worry a bit when making gluten free cakes.  Being a vegan seems to me to be a voluntary lifestyle choice but requiring a gluten free diet is a serious health issue and it only takes a small amount of contamination to make people quite poorly.  Consequently I always bake gluten free cakes using a brand new pack of butter and sugar, to make sure there has been no accidental dipping of a spoon used for ordinary flour into an opened pack.  I also made sure there were separate knives and tongs for serving the gluten free and the vegan cakes, something that can be easily overlooked and cause problems.

It was an easy cake to make and it sold well.  I adapted a recipe on the website "Coeliac by Design".

Ingredients

For the cake

140g butter, softened, or baking spread

140g caster sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, beaten

140g gluten free self raising flour

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

50g chopped walnuts

For the topping

1 tblsp demerara sugar

banana chips or walnut halves to decorate

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C / 160° fan / gas mk4.  Butter and line a 2lb/900g loaf tin or use a paper liner.

Put all the cake ingredients into a large bowl and beat together with a hand held electric mixer until well combined.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin and level the top.  Sprinkle over the demerara sugar and decorate with the walnut halves or banana chips.

Bake for 40-50 minutes until done.  Cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully lifting out (GF cakes can be slightly fragile) onto a cooling rack.

Cuts into 8-10 slices.