It’s been some time since I wrote a post, although not without reason: I’m 26 weeks pregnant with my second baby and with working part-time and looking after a toddler I’m struggling to find extra time in the day to do all the things I want to! I also have not baked for a while, which I miss, because I do love home-made ‘treats’ and refuse to buy ‘treat’ foods. I believe that if I make them myself, I a) know what goes into them and b) appreciate the time and effort so that they get eaten slowly and mindfully!
Last weekend though I had some spare time, as well as some bananas that were going brown and a tin of pineapple pieces that has been in my cupboard for ages (it’s not something I would use usually). I tried to Google a recipe for a banana and pineapple cake, but all I could find were ones full of sugar and butter (like a Hummingbird cake); delicious but not something I want to feed to my 2 year-old son. I try to eat all meals together with my son and therefore want to make ’treat’ foods as healthy as possible. So I made up my own recipe, and I’m pleased to say it was a huge success with all!
Banana and Pineapple Cake:
2 cups wholemeal flour (I used 1 cup spelt and 1 cup wholemeal as I had mostly spelt flour in the house)
1 tsp bicarb soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tin pineapple pieces in juice (keep juice)
2 large over-ripe bananas mashed (you could use 3, but I only had 2)
1 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup natural yoghurt (I used full fat Jalna natural yoghurt)
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup coconut oil
½ cup raw sugar (I think you could also use less if caster or brown sugar)
1) Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
2) Combine egg, yoghurt, vanilla, pineapple juice and mashed banana, then mix into dry ingredients.
3) In a small saucepan melt coconut oil and sugar together. Add to above and mix until well combined.
4) Add pineapple pieces to mixture. And spoon into well-greased round cake tin. Bake 180°C oven for about 25mins or until cooked through (poke centre of cake gentle with a knife, when knife comes out clean cake is cooked).
Serve as is, or with vanilla yoghurt or I think it would be nice with cream cheese icing.
