Chocolate Banashew aka Chocolate Banana Cashew Cake (vegan)
I have a new piece of Froothie equipment to play with. It’s an Optimum HealthyFry – a rapid air fryer that can bake cakes too. Who’d have thought it? I have used it for frying of course, but I couldn’t wait to try baking a cake in it. With my promise to bring you all things vegan this month, I have created this rich and fudgy chocolate banana cashew cake. Ladies and Gentleman, forget the banoffee, I give you banashew.
I knew the cake had to be a chocolate cake for We Should Cocoa, but what sort of chocolate cake? For some reason I had nut butter on my mind. I suddenly remembered the banana chocolate peanut butter cake I once made and what a good combination those three ingredients were. Then I thought of the cashew brownies that won a place in the Cranks recipe book and suddenly my vegan chocolate banana cashew cake was born. CT, being CT, promptly named it Banashew Cake.
Like most of my cakes, this chocolate banana cashew cake is made with nutrient rich whole foods. This one is even more nutritious than normal, even though it’s iced. It contains healthy fats, wholemeal spelt and cashew nut butter. I’ve used rapadura as the sweetener. This is an unrefined form of sugar that retains many of the cane sugar’s nutrients. It’s particularly high in iron, which as a vegetarian, I’m always slightly concerned about.
Vegan chocolate isn’t the easiest to find. Most dark chocolate is made in the same factories as milk chocolate and can be contaminated by dairy. Seed and Bean not only guarantee their dark chocolate to be vegan, but it’s organic as well. Vivani is not so easy to get hold of, but is also vegan and organic.
The cake is a fairly modest one as the tin size that comes with the Optimum HealthyFry is only 15cm / 6″ in diameter, but the quantities can easily be doubled for a more standard size. It’s quite a rich cake, so although it’s extremely delicious, a little goes a long way.
I have used the Optimum HealthyFry for purposes other than cake – honest! I’ll be writing a review and bringing you more recipes over the next month or so as part of #Jumpstart17. As a Froothie Ambassador, I can offer Tin and Thyme readers free P&P on any Froothie appliance – add 2483 free ambassador delivery to the comment box when ordering to get free postage and packing. Delivery will be credited back onto your card. The Optimum HealthyFryer is currently on offer at £149.
- 50g coconut oil
- 100g rapadura (can use coconut sugar or dark muscovado)
- 1 ripe banana - sliced
- 2 tbsp cashew nut butter
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 100g wholemeal spelt flour
- ¾ tsp baking powder
- ⅛ tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 25g cocoa powder
- 75ml hot water
- 10g coconut oil
- 1 tbsp cashew nut butter
- 1 tbsp maple syrup (more if you like a sweeter icing)
- ¼ tsp vanilla extract
- pinch Himalayan pink salt
- 25g dark chocolate (make sure it's vegan) - roughly chopped
- In a large pan melt the coconut oil over a low heat.
- Add the cashew nut butter, banana and rapadura and stir until the banana has more or less broken down and the mixture is almost smooth.
- Remove from the heat. Add the vanilla and cider and stir.
- Sift in the dry ingredients and gently stir, adding the water bit by bit as you go along.
- Line or oil the cake pan (or use a 15cm / 6" silicone mould or tin).
- Pre-warm the fryer as instructed
- Scrape the batter into the pan and cover with foil.
- Set the temperature to 170℃ and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the foil, set the timer for a further 10 minutes and bake until an inserted skewer comes out more or less clean. Alternatively bake in the middle of an oven following the same procedure as above.
- Remove the pan and allow to cool for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- Melt the coconut oil in a pan over very low heat. Add all the other ingredients, except for the chocolate and stir until smooth.
- Remove from the heat - add the chocolate and stir until combined.
- Spread over the top of the cake.
- Scatter with dark chocolate shavings if wished.
- The cake is quite rich, so a little goes a long way.
- Double the quantities for a 20cm / 8" cake tin.
Other recipes for vegan chocolate cake you might like
- Cannellini coconut chocolate cake via Tin and Thyme
- Chocolate courgette cupcakes via Tin and Thyme
- Chocolate orange cake (gf) via Nadia’s Healthy Kitchen
- Guinness chocolate cake with Irish Cream Frosting via Wallflower Kitchen
- Speculaas chocolate cake via Tin and Thyme
- Super fudgy chocolate cake via SuperGolden Bakes
This vegan chocolate banana cashew cake, aka banashew, is my entry to this month’s #WeShouldCocoa. If you’ve made anything with chocolate this month, do join in. You have until 28th January.
I’m also sending it off to #RecipeoftheWeek at A Mummy Too.
The post contains affiliate links. Buying through a link will not cost you any more, but I will get a small commission. This helps keep Tin and Thyme blythe and blogging. Opinions are, as always, my own.
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Our Monthly Chocolate Challenge
Pinky boots
19th January 2017
This sound amazing< i know what i'll be doing this weekend! thank you x
Choclette
20th January 2017
There’s nothing quite like a good baking session at the weekend 🙂
Becca @ Amuse Your Bouche
19th January 2017
Love the idea of a banashew cake!! Sounds yummy. I used to have an air fryer and really loved it, but this one seems so versatile since you can bake in it too!
Choclette
20th January 2017
It’s not what I was expecting when I signed up to an air fryer. It’s great to have such versatility!
Angie@Angie's Recipes
19th January 2017
A healthy chocolate cake…how awesome is that! I love that frosting.
Choclette
20th January 2017
It’s got to be done Angie 😉
Lucy Parissi
19th January 2017
Ooh that airfryer sounds amazing! Never would have imagine you can bake in one. This looks delicious
Choclette
20th January 2017
Thanks Lucy. No, cake making wasn’t what I had in mind when I heard about the air fryer 😉
Heidi Roberts
19th January 2017
I was craving a chocolate cake the other day and used coconut sugar and coconut flour.
Choclette
20th January 2017
How did it work out Heidi. Coconut sugar is fab, but I find coconut flour on it’s own makes for a very heavy cake.
Janice
19th January 2017
I’m so impressed with this cake and that you made it in the air fryer. I’m super excited to try this myself and I love the banana cashew combination.
Choclette
20th January 2017
Thanks Janice. Making cakes in it wasn’t what I originally had in mind, but it worked well. Have you tried yours out yet?
Janice
21st January 2017
Yes, I’ve made a couple of things, it’s really easy to use.
Choclette
23rd January 2017
Yes it is and I’m enjoying not having to turn the oven for just a few chips 😉
Poppy
20th January 2017
Oh my, Choclette… this may be my favourite of your vegan recipes! I am definitely making this! I love how the banana is cooked down with the fats and sugar, I bet it smells divine!
Glad you are having fun with your new toy!!
Choclette
20th January 2017
Thanks Poppy. Cake making in the air fryer wasn’t quite what I had in mind when I first heard of it, but it works well.
Elinor Kugler
20th January 2017
This looks amazing! Can’t wait to try it. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Choclette
20th January 2017
Thanks Elinor. It’s really really good – or at least that’s what everyone said who tried it 😉
Kate - gluten free alchemist
21st January 2017
Cooking a cake in an air-fryer sounds very unusual. But your ‘banashew’ sounds amazing! Fantastic ingredients, although I’ve never heard of rapadura. Where do you find it? x
Choclette
23rd January 2017
Thanks Kate. The beauty about making a cake in the air-fryer is not having to turn the oven on for only a small item. I used to buy rapadura from our local organic shop, but that sadly closed down. I now stock up whenever I happen to be passing a good health food shop.
Jan Bennett
22nd January 2017
Oh wow a healthy chocolate cake! Love that you can also bake in the HealthyFry.
Choclette
23rd January 2017
I wasn’t expecting the Healthy Fry to come with a cake tin. It just had to be tried.
Jacqueline Meldrum
22nd January 2017
I know it says it can bake cakes, but I am still amazed! Wow Choclette! That looks and sounds amazing. Very impressed. Pinned, stumbled, tweeted and flipped.
Choclette
23rd January 2017
Thanks Jac. It’s not quite what I thought I’d be doing with the air fryer, but it’s great that it’s so versatile. Looking forward to experimenting some more.
Mina Joshi
22nd January 2017
This cake with the chocolate cashew icing sounds heavenly.
Choclette
23rd January 2017
It really is Mina and made even better by including lots of nutritious foods.
Sarah
24th January 2017
oh my gosh this sounds wonderful. What a fab piece of kit too. Banoffee is one of my favourite treats but I love cashews, I just want a piece now!! 😛
Choclette
24th January 2017
Thanks Sarah. It’s a fab combination and makes for a gorgeous cake 🙂
Tracy
24th January 2017
Amazing that you can bake a cake in the fryer – love this idea, am definitely going to attempt some vegan recipes this year!
Choclette
24th January 2017
Yes, it was very exciting baking a cake in a fryer Tracy. I do love being a food blogger 🙂
Cathy @ Planet Veggie
24th January 2017
I had no idea you could make cakes in an airfryer – I thought they were mostly used for making chips!
Choclette
24th January 2017
Chips? Nothing so mundane Cathy 😉
Laura @ KneadWhine
26th January 2017
Oh Choclette – your cakes always look so delicious… and tempting! Cashew icing means healthy, right?
Choclette
27th January 2017
Aw thanks Laura. And yes, healthy icing it is – of course 😉
Vicki Montague
27th January 2017
Oh wow! This looks totally delicious and is right up my street. I think I might have to try it with my wholegrain gluten free flour blend…I think it would work a treat!
Choclette
27th January 2017
Oh yes, I can see it working really well with your flour Vicki. Let me know how you get on.
Ciara Attwell
27th January 2017
This looks absolutely delicious. Its incredible that you can make so much in the HealthyFry. Its brilliant!
Choclette
28th January 2017
Yes, I’m super impressed with it Ciara. Only trouble is I can’t stop eating chips!
Lorna @ Eat Myyy Thoughts
28th January 2017
I just want to dive in face first!!
L x
Choclette
31st January 2017
Well that could be interesting to witness 😀
Eb Gargano
16th February 2017
Wow – that airfryer sounds amazing – can’t believe you can make cakes in it too! I’m impressed. Great idea for a cake too – sounds delicious! 🙂 Eb x
Nadia
19th February 2017
Looks delicious! Great flavour combination 😀 love using nut butters to make healthy frosting 🙂