There’s a little part of me that get’s a touch of excitement when I come across overripe bananas. I guess it comes to knowing that something sweet is impending; be it planned or spontaneously created.

Kind of like this cake.

This recipe came about when I was gifted some rather sad looking bananas. Not gifted by some kind of growers association, but gifted by my colleague. I mean, could you imagine the Banana Growers Association sending out fruit that looks like it’s been unearthed from the Valley of Kings?

It’d never happen. Yet if it did, I’d put my hand up.

Banana cake or muffins are the most obvious choices. Perhaps even a less sweet banana bread. I needed to do something different. Something very different.

A flourless cake that didn’t rely on wheat for substance. Almond meal came to mind first … and then carrots. Oh look, I found some Dutch cocoa.

Could it work?

Well, it kinda did. What came out of my oven is this banana, almond, carrot and chocolate cake that has a texture crossed with a banana-flavoured brownie and a chocolate mud cake.

And to extend the carrot content, I’ve used the juice from a fresh carrot to form the icing. Not a thick icing, just a semi-runny sweetness for even more moisture.

You’ve got to love experimenting in the kitchen, right?

Print Recipe

Banana, almond & carrot cake

Incredibly moist, this gorgeous banana, almond & carrot cake is sure to vamp up dessert time.

Course

Dessert

Servings

servings

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• ½ cup muscovado sugar
• ¼ cup macadamia oil or canola
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 very ripe bananas (270 g of flesh)
• 80 g carrot finely grated
• 250 g almond meal
• ¼ cup dutch cocoa
• 1½ tbsp baking powder
• 1 cup icing sugar
• 1½ tbsp carrot juice see notes

Course Dessert Servings servings Ingredients 2 eggs ½ cup muscovado sugar ¼ cup macadamia oil or canola 1 tsp vanilla extract 2 very ripe bananas (270 g of flesh) 80 g carrot finely grated 250 g almond meal ¼ cup dutch cocoa 1½ tbsp baking powder 1 cup icing sugar 1½ tbsp carrot juice see notes

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C.
2. Beat the eggs, muscovado sugar, oil and vanilla in a mixing bowl for 5 minutes. Add the bananas, grated carrot, almond meal, cocoa and baking powder and mix well.
3. Pour the batter into a lined and greased 22cm springform tin and bake for 50-60 minutes, or until cooked in the middle. Allow the cake to cool in the tin completely before turning out onto a serving plate.
4. To make the icing - combine the carrot juice and icing sugar and whisk gently until the sugar has dissolved. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake and serve at room temperature.

Recipe Notes

The easiest way to make carrot juice, rather than buying it, is to grate a carrot using a microplane, then squeeze the juice from grated carrot into a bowl. Saves using a juicing machine, as well. Nobody enjoys cleaning those things.

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