Banana Walnut & Chocolate Cookie Cake - Wholegrain and Egg less


The wheel of time moves on……from a pleasant and colourful spring, we have reached mid summers or almost the peak of it. If this is not the peak then the anticipation of what lies in store is worrying. Parched Earth, dead bushes, withered leaves hanging listlessly from the branches, dry and dreary afternoons. The Sun is unrelenting, sky- cloudless, gusts of hot dusty air sweep away the dead leaves that rustle and pile up in corners.


In the midst of all the dullness, a visit to a nursery filled our day with colours and alleviated our woes albeit temporarily. 


Pots of Ranunculus placed in one square and Osteospermum in another were a treat to eyes and senses.


 What a creative genius Almighty is! Lovely colours and patterns of the flowers were just spell binding.


On our way back we picked up a slab of ice cream of the flavour decided by our kids. 


We had it with Banana Walnut & Chocolate Cookie Cake that was baked in the morning.



Banana Walnut & Chocolate Cookie Cake

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour (or, 2 cups all-purpose flour if you want a softer crumb)
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar or muscovado sugar or white sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter
1 flax egg*
or
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ripe banana (mashed)
1 cup dark chocolate chunks
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

* To make one flax egg take 3 tablespoons water in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of raw flax meal. Whisk with a fork.  Refrigerate. This step is important. Refrigerate for about an hour. This gives it the consistency of an egg white. Add it to the recipe. It acts as a binder and makes the cake soft.

Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease line and dust one 8 inch round cake tin.
Whisk together first four ingredients in a large bowl.
Melt butter in a deep pan. Add sugar and mix well. When the mixture cools completely, add flax egg or an egg. Mix well till the mixture comes together. Add vanilla essence and mashed banana. Mix till the mixture becomes smooth and uniform.
Add flour mix in three shifts. Mix till you get a smooth batter.
Fold in chopped walnuts and chocolate chunks.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan. Level the top with a spoon.
Bake in the preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or till the top turns brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean
Remove from oven. Remove from pan after 5 minutes. Cool in the rack.
Enjoy the slices with tea or serve with a dollop of ice cream.



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5 comments:

  1. Hi Namita, How have U been? Cake looks delicious.....and flowers are so refreshing.....We are in the spring mode here, perfect weather....mostly warm days with few cold days here & there...not a big fan of hot days...

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    1. Hello! heat has sucked up all the energy.You are so lucky to have cold days interspersed with warm days. Thanks for your words of apprecition.

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  2. I have been reading about the heat waves that are hitting India at the moment and it isn't even summer yet! I am sorry that you are having to put up with it. Your cake looks wonderful and perfect to go with ice cream. I have been following a Facebook page about making something that looks, and for the most part, acts like whipped egg whites out of canned or cooked (and reduced) chickpea water. When you drain a can of chickpeas the liquid contains starch. Apparently this starchy compound acts a lot like egg whites and you can whip it in a stand mixer to stiff peaks and use it to make meringues. I have made them from red kidney bean water from a can so I know it is true. The point about it is that it is also an excellent substitute in baking and 3tbs of this liquid is a replacement for one egg. There is only so much meringue and so many macarons that a vegan can eat but knowing that you can use something that you previously washed down the sink as a very successful egg substitute is big news. If using home cooked chickpeas they recommend reducing the cooking water till it has that viscous quality that canned chickpea water has. I will use it in this recipe and see if it swaps out for the flax egg. Thank you for this recipe Namita and I hope your summer evens out and cools down!

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  3. Awesome recipe.. The cake came out perfect..I simply love your blog and efforts you make to put down all recipes and not to forget the great pictures..Keep up the great work..

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    Replies
    1. Hello Meenal, Thank you for visiting my blog and appreciating my efforts. I am so happy that your cake came out well. Thank You Meenal!

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