The B-day cake: high-fiber, no-caffeine version

Recently, I published my high-fiber chocolate cake recipe. 

Today, I share a similar recipe but without any caffeine.  Although cocoa powder and chocolate chips do not have too much caffeine, if you do not like the taste of chocolate, why not modify the recipe to pure vanilla aroma? 

As I mentioned before, this cake recipe is super-healthy: there is lots of fiber. The added sugar in the recipe comes only from the 4 Tbsp of low-sugar jam, and the jam is optional. The  sweet taste is mostly due to the natural sugar in the bananas and raisins. The recipe calls for total of seven to eight bananas, applesauce, walnuts and whole wheat flour! This is lots of fiber. Even the almond butter has fiber.
 
Since the cake is high in fiber, the sugar spike in the blood is moderated. Soluble fiber slows down the absorption of sugar. According to some calculations, ripe bananas contain 3 g fiber/120 g, mostly in the form of soluble fiber.

High-fiber cake (up to 16 portions)
 
Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas (mashed)
4 oz (113 g) of unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup flaxseed
2 tsp baking soda 
1 packed cup raisins 
1 to 1.5 cup walnuts (cut into small pieces)
 
Frosting ingredients:
1 cup almond butter and/or peanut butter 
4 Tbsp low sugar strawberry jam (optional)
3 – 4 ripe bananas (mashed)
2 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)
 
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray with oil a 9-inch springform cake pan (or spread some coconut oil). You can use any other type of cake pan. I have also used a square cake pan (8" x 8").
Wash the raisins with water, drain and soak them with the vanilla extract (leave in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes). Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, flaxseed, and baking soda). Combine the mashed bananas, apple sauce, and lightly beaten eggs. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the banana-egg mixture. Stir in the raisins and walnuts. Transfer the batter to the pan and bake for 40 minutes. Cool before frosting.

The frosting is prepared by mixing the mashed bananas and the almond (and/or peanut) butter. If you have some chia seeds, add 2 Tbsp. Either way, the frosting is delicious and healthy.

To finish the cake, spread a thin layer of low sugar jam on the top of the cake. Then cover with the frosting on top and the side of the cake.
If you would like to decorate the cake, use fresh fruit, edible flowers, chopped nuts and/or coconut shavings.

Notes:
1. I use only frozen bananas for this recipe. The thawed frozen bananas are easier to mash/incorporate in the dough and frosting. 
2. All springform cake pans leak. I put the pan on a baking sheet in the oven. However, this may increase the baking time to approximately 45 minutes or more.



Using Recipe Nutrition Calculator, if you serve 12 generous pieces of this cake, you consume for 316 calories per serving. Each piece of cake has 7.1 g of fiber and 20.1 g of sugar! This is twice the fiber in a smaller apple and more or less the amount of sugar you would get from a medium apple. Don't you feel good about eating this cake now?

The B-day cake

For a no-chocolate version of the cake, go to my next cake recipe.

In the past, cakes were enjoyed only on birthdays. Now pastries, cookies, cakes and sweets are a common treat every day. Not in my family, however! Sweets are kept for special occasions.

Recently, for one of our birthdays, I decided to "splurge" on the sugar and make a cake. The added sugar in the recipe comes only from the chocolate chips and the low-sugar jam (this one is optional). The rest of the sweet taste is due to the natural sugar in the bananas. The recipe calls for total of seven bananas, applesauce, walnuts and whole wheat flour!  This is lots of fiber! Even the almond butter and the cocoa powder have fiber.  I recommend that you use extremely ripe bananas that you have frozen in advance (in anticipation of someone's B-day).  

Since the cake is high in fiber, the sugar spike in the blood is moderated. Soluble fiber slows down the absorption of sugar. According to some calculations, ripe bananas contain 3 g fiber/120 g, mostly in the form of soluble fiber.
 

The B-day cake (up to 16 portions)

Ingredients:
4 ripe bananas (mashed)
4 oz (113 g) of unsweetened applesauce
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 cup whole-wheat flour
½ cup baking cocoa powder (no sugar added)
2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1.5 cups walnuts (chopped)
 
Frosting ingredients:
5 Tbsp almond butter (7-8 oz)
4 Tbsp low sugar strawberry jam (optional)
4 Tbsp baking cocoa powder (no sugar added)
3 ripe bananas (mashed)
2 Tbsp chia seeds (optional)
 
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and spray with oil a 9-inch springform cake pan (or spread some coconut oil). You can use any other type of cake pan.  I have also used a square cake pan (8" x 8"). 

Mix together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, and baking soda). Combine the mashed bananas, apple sauce, vanilla and lightly beaten eggs. Gradually incorporate the dry ingredients into the banana-egg mixture. Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Transfer the batter into the pan, and bake for 40 minutes.  Cool before frosting. 

The frosting is prepared by mixing the four Tbsp of cocoa powder with the three mashed bananas and the almond butter. If you have some chia seeds, add 2 Tbsp. Either way, the frosting is delicious and healthy.

To finish the cake, first, spread the low sugar jam on the top of the cake. Then spread the frosting on top and the side of the cake. For the frosting, you may try peanut butter (with no added sugar), instead of the more expensive almond butter.

The decorations on the picture above were made by my child. Usually, I do not decorate the cake, but one could sprinkle some nuts and/or coconut shavings.
 
Notes:
1. I use only frozen bananas for this recipe. The frozen bananas are easier to mash/incorporate in the dough and frosting.

2. All springform cake pans leak. This is why I put the pan on a baking sheet in the oven. This however, increases the baking time to approximately 45 minutes or more.

In a process of frosting...

Happy B-day, everyone!

Sharing inspirations for holidays and every day

Christmas and New Year mark our lifetime in a more profound way than any other holidays. This is the time when most of us pause all frantic activities, re-evaluate and plan.

Therefore, it is a good time for inspiration and learning.

Below I have compiled some of my recent inspirations. I hope that you find them useful in preparing for your own holidays.

A week ago, I discovered a new YouTube channel, Picking up limes, dedicated to “foodies, minimalists, travellers and all beautiful souls”.

The creator of the channel, Sadia, promises “a calm and relaxing space with … videos that help to nourish the cells and the soul.” I watched many of the videos and believe that Sadia delivers on her promises. 

You could also visit her website. I am looking forward to some free time to read the blog and dive into Sadia’s recipes.  

Update: I made these Sadia's pancakes last night and they turned out pretty good. I did not have buckwheat flour, instead, used whole wheat flour. I also used water instead of plant-based milk and sprayed my pan with olive oil instead of using coconut oil.

 
How to keep relaxed and calm, and yet have amazing holidays? 

Maybe we should all introduce some hygge into our holidays. Here is the advice of Jenny Mustard on how to celebrate Christmas in hygge style:

 

I am aesthetically and visually driven person.  Looking at creative arrangements and decorations for the holidays inspire me and allow me to bring more energetic spirit into my house, break the monotony of our everyday routine.

Here are three blogs that are a feast for the senses and might inspire you to put together an unexpected background for the seasonal celebrations:

Liiv blog

Hof 9

@mycasa

Loreta blog 

Dishfunctional Designs
 
What are the holidays without the warmth and enticing aromas of baked dishes, cookies and breads?

I am not a fan of sugar or any cakes, but this gorgeous gingerbread village cake presentation inspired me to concoct my own version of a minimal-sugar cake. 

I am planning on using two layers of my banana brownie recipe and a raspberry-coconut filling to "build" my own Christmas cake.

 

If the result is good, I will share the exact recipe.  Meanwhile, why not invent your own cake recipe, or maybe re-invent an old favorite recipe, in which you substitute the unhealthy ingredients with healthy ones?


I will also try these oat cookies on one of my days off, and maybe surprise my family with some almond pancakes.

 
Not having any plans for Christmas yet? Here is how Jenny celebrates her Christmas.  Why not try something new this year?

How about you, how do you bring the holidays home?

Appetizer cake

What is an appetizer cake? It is a cake that is served as an appetizer or as a snack at a party.

I love appetizers. I would forgo the main dish for the appetizers. When I was little, my parents left me alone at the Holiday table for a couple of minutes, and when they came back, they found me unable to talk since my mouth was full with olives and salami. I do not remember this humiliating episode, and anyway, my parents and I survived the crisis. The food was somehow pried out of my clenched jaws.

Today, since processed meats are out of our diet (they increase the risk of colon cancer), I try to find healthy, and yet delicious, substitutes.

In the past, my mom had made a pancake stack for an appetizer. It consisted of layers of pancakes with various cheeses, mayo and pickles in between.

For this past New Years Eve, I decided to experiment and make my own healthy appetizer cake. The "cake" would be well-received at any party. This year, break the tradition of celebrating every occasion with sugar. Try something new. Try the appetizer cake!

Appetizer cake

You need:
Four pocket thins (with high fiber contents or any other type you may like). Two packages of cream cheese (I use the reduced fat). 3 - 4 Tbsp of plain yogurt (I use non-fat), 2 cloves of garlic (crushed), 1 medium size sweet onion (diced), 5 - 6 baked and peeled red peppers (I buy the ready to use peppers in jars), 1 - 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1 can of pitted olives, 1 or more cups of shredded Cheddar cheese or any other cheese you like, a cucumber and/or tomatoes for decoration.

Instructions:
Soften the cream cheese in the microwave (for 30 seconds or less) and mix with the yogurt and crushed garlic. Soften the onion in a pan with olive oil until caramelized. Crush and drain well the pitted olives. Drain well the peppers and dice. Mix separately the olives, the peppers and the onions each with 2 Tbsp of the cream cheese-yogurt mixture. Assemble the cake by layering the thins and the fillings. I arranged my cake in the following order: one thin as a foundation of the cake, onion layer, another thin, pepper layer, thin, olive layer, and a final thin. Cover the cake on all sides with the remaining cream cheese-yogurt mix and sprinkle the shredded Cheddar cheese on top and on the sides. Decorate with sliced cucumber or tomatoes.

My tweaks for the "next edition" of the appetizer cake:
 

• Next time, I will use the half (one layer) of each doubled-layered pocket thin. 
• Instead of onion, I will use mushrooms softened in oil. The onions were too sweet and clashed with the salty taste of the cake.  
• The double-layered thins were a bit tough but the taste and texture improved after I kept the cake for 24 hours in the refrigerator, and then a couple of hours at room temperature (before serving). 
• I may also try to make the same cake with pancakes