Banana and Chocolate Chunk Cake

Serves 8 - 12

for the Cake
100g gluten-free plain flour
100g gluten-free oat flour
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
200g dairy-free margarine
200g unrefined caster sugar
4 medium eggs, lightly beaten
2 small ripe bananas, mashed
60g gluten- and dairy-free free plain chocolate, cut into chunks
A few drops of vanilla extract

for the Topping
100g dairy-free margarine
400g icing sugar
A few drops of vanilla extract

60g gluten free plain chocolate, cut into small chunks

Preheat oven to 190°c / 170°c fan oven / 375°f / gas mark 5.
Line an 8 inch round cake tin with greaseproof paper.

Weigh the gluten-free plain flour, gluten-free oat flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Stir together then sift at least twice to fully distribute the baking powder. Alternatively blend together in a food processor.

Cream together the dairy-free margarine and caster sugar.

Beat in the egg a little at a time. The mixture will probably split but will come together with the flour.

Mash the bananas and fold into the mixture with the vanilla and chocolate.

Fold in the flour and pour into the prepared cake tin. *If you divide this mixture between two cake tins, the sponges will rise higher.

Level the top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes until a knife inserted comes out clean. If the top of the cake browns before the cake is cooked, place a piece of greaseproof paper over the top until fully cooked.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for 15 minutes before turning out onto a plate then turn this onto the cooling wire so the cake cools the right way up or it could break in half.

When cooled decorate the top of the cake with the buttercream and scatter the rest of the chocolate chunks and crumbs over the top.

Topping
Mix the icing sugar into the dairy-free margarine, a little at a time. Do not overbeat the mixture or it may split. Stir in a few drops of cooled boiled water until it reaches the required consistency. Add the vanilla to taste.
This is a lot of icing sugar. If you use less icing sugar to margarine, the mixture may split. Add a little extra flavouring to this buttercream. *see note.

In all recipes requiring self-raising gluten-free flour, I advise stirring the flours together with the gluten-free baking powder then sift at least twice to fully distribute the baking powder. Alternatively blend together in a food processor.

Gluten free cakes are crumblier than other cakes but taste just as good. To cut neat slices, dip a serrated knife in hot water and wipe clean between slices.

You can make your own gluten-free oat flour by blending gluten-free oats in a food processor until fine. This may not turn out as fine as shop bought but is not as expensive!

Note: For dairy-free buttercream: Most dairy-free margarines are quite soft. You will need to add four times as much icing sugar to the dairy-free margarine or it will split. I recommend using Naturli block margarine, you will only need twice as much icing sugar to the block margarine. It is a lot tastier and doesn’t contain palm oil.

www.icedgembakes.co.uk