I have no real stories to tell this week, dear readers, except to tell you that this cake rocks.
And I don’t even really like cake.
And if you’re not in-the-know already, I’m also here to spill the beans on a super-duper top-secret:
Bananas + Molasses = Awesome
And I don’t even like bananas.
But I do like molasses.
In fact, I love molasses.
If I weren’t madly in love with my husband, seriously, I’d probably run away with the stuff.
Image from WeHeartIt.Com
My love affair with that black-brown gold began when I created my Cast-Iron Cornbread with Salted Molasses Butter recipe.
(Oh, who am I kidding, I do have a story to tell).
It’s earthy, slightly bitter sweetness surprised me that day and though I had been no stranger to it, I’d completely forgotten how complex and fabulous it really was.
It was no simple, super sweetener but a virtual flavor powerhouse.
From that day on, I’ve been experiment with it and throwing it in what seems like everything, and it’s pretty much been a love fest ever since.
Oh, and are you siting down? It get’s even better.
Molasses can even be subtle.
Image from Indulgy.Com
This cake is proof that even bulls in china shops can be gentle.
Combined with the humble, ripe banana however, the combo is out of this world and not at all what you’d expect.
It’s like a fairy princess walked in when all you were expecting was a bull moose.
Light and incredibly moist, it is all banana-molasses goodness and yet, just the perfect hint of both.
Just sweet enough; when topped with a light, barely sweet crème fraîche, you’ll wonder what you ever did to deserve such a slice of heaven.
All you did, it turns out, is make it.
Banana Molasses Cake with Sweet Crème Fraîche
Inspired by unsulphured molasses and The Neelys
For Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup turbinado sugar
2 eggs
1/4 cup reduced fat buttermilk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
2 medium-sized very ripe organic bananas (the blacker, the better), peeled and mashed
For Sweet Crème Fraîche
7 1/2 ounces crème fraîche (i.e. french cultured cream)
1/4 cup powdered confectioners’ sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch sea salt
Preheat oven to 350 Degrees F. Grease 9 x 9 inch cake pan generously with unsalted butter, making sure to get all corners. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl — using a wire whisk — combine all-purpose flour, almond meal, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt together until well combined.
In a separate, medium-sized mixing bowl — using an electric mixer at medium low-speed — cream butter until smooth.
Add trurbinado sugar to butter and beat until fluffy. Add eggs, beat well again and then add buttermilk, vanilla extract, molasses and bananas. Beat well.
Note: Once you add the buttermilk and the rest, the batter may look like it’s curdled. Not to worry! This does not negatively impact the recipe and is totally normal.
Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients and — using a rubber spatula — fold mixture gently, scraping sides of bowl from time to time until batter is barely mixed.
Note: It’s perfectly fine if a few lumps remain and be careful not to over-mix, which will result in a rubbery cake (and no one likes rubbery cake).
Using a rubber spatula, pour batter into your prepared cake pan. Distribute batter evenly, smooth top if necessary and smack cake pan a couple of times on counter top to remove any air bubbles.
Transfer pan to middle rack of preheated oven and bake for 25 – 27 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
Remove pan from oven and let cake cool in pan on wire cooling rack for approximately 10 – 15 minutes.
Carefully turn out cake from pan onto cooling rack to cool completely, approximately 35 – 45 minutes.
While cake is cooling, make sweet crème fraîche.
In a small mixing bowl — using an electric mixer at medium low-speed — beat crème fraîche, powdered confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract and sea salt together until creamy and smooth.
Once cake is cool — using a serrated knife — cut cake into 9 even pieces.
Note: If you’d like to make things look real pretty, feel free to cut off the cake’s sides first before cutting it into pieces.
Just before you’re ready to serve — using a small offset spatula or regular knife — spread each piece with a dollop of sweet crème fraîche.
Cake lasts 2 – 3 days stored covered in an airtight Tupperware container at room temperature. Sweet crème fraîche lasts about 3 – 4 days stored covered and refrigerated.
Share and enjoy!
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Small Kitchen Chronicles 
You don’t like CAKE?!?! What! No wonder you’re so skinny and gorgeous 🙂 I, on the other hand, adore cake…AND bananas, so this cake sounds absolutely fantastic. I just bought a sack of almond meal as well, so I am super excited to make this! Glad to see you’re back in the blogging routine! 🙂
Wow, you know, I had a feeling I’d get that reaction =) LOL It’s not that I particularly dislike cake, it’s just that I’ve never had a cake that has particularly wow’d me. This one however changed my mind about the whole cake lot! Hope you enjoy it, Erika; let me know how it went and thanks so much for the love =) You rocketh, lady!
xo
No cakes? 😀 Absolutely agree with what Erika just said. Recipe looks worth of trying it. Glad you are back to blogging routine too! 😉 like the meaning of the Elephant picture…
Alas, it’s true, no cakes =) Okay, not entirely true, I just don’t prefer them. I’d much rather go the way of Miss Darya — with the pies, tarts, crumbles and cobblers — cakes just never wow’d me. But this one totally did and I hope you decide to make it ’cause I think you’ll really be pleasantly surprised, Irena; it rocked my socks off =)
Thanks for stopping by and for the love, foodie friend; have a wonderful weekend!
xo!
I like muffins, pies, tarts, financiers, crumbles and cobblers… but I don’t usually swoon over cake (and I actually do not like cupcakes much, but I suppose I have yet to taste one that will make me change my mind); Sometimes I will enjoy a piece of cake, and yours sounds like one of these, especially since I LOVE both bananas and molasses. 🙂
Speak it, sister! I so agree with you, Darya =) If you already love both bananas and molasses, I think this recipe will, shall we say, take the cake! Sorry for the bad pun, but I couldn’t resist! lol
Thanks so much for the lovely comment, Darya, and for dropping by. It’s always a pleasure hearing from you!
Warm hugs!
xo
So with you on cakes. Although, I do love bananas, and am trying to do a banana loaf – if I ever manage to get it not to fall. I’ve since done the necessary research. Anyway, here I can buy raw cane sugar molasses which is incredible in flavour. Must buy more in.
Totally. And I am intrigued by that banana loaf; definitely give it a go! That research pays off 😉
Hope all is well and thanks so much for the lovely comment!
xo
Sounds delicious! Can’t wait to give it a try. Thanks!
My pleasure, Nicole, and thank you! Please stop back on by and let me know how you liked it =)
xo
My dear Christina, this looks delicious! I’m always looking for new recipes to use up my overly ripe and unattractive black bananas. Thank you for this lovely recipe and I hope you are doing well. xoxo!
Aww, you’re most welcome, dear Anne; my pleasure =) Thanks so much for the wonderful comment, kind wishes and for stopping by; it’s always so lovely hearing from you =) Hope you are doing wonderfully, as well. Have a fabulous weekend, dear one! xo
the first thing I thought when I saw this was banana+molassas would be amazing together! Thank you for the idea!
I’m so glad! And, you’re most welcome, my pleasure =) The combo really is amazing together; and if you do make the recipe, I think you’ll just love it =)
xo
Another wonderful recipe hahah!
Thanks so much, traditionis =)
xo
That cake looks fantastic! Mmmm, great photos!
Thank you, Sarah! Glad you enjoyed =)
xo
This looks absolutely delicious Christina! I love the flavor combinations that are going on here – perfection! Hope you are doing well! xo
Lindsay!
So nice to hear from you, lady! Bonjour, mademoiselle (honestly, that’s pretty much the extent of my French; I’ve got my hands full still working on my Italian! =)
And thanks so much =) I was super pleasantly surprised when I took the first bite of this; it indeed was a revelation.
Hope you are doing wonderfully and having a blast in France, my dear! Warm, warm hugs from Across the Pond 😉
xo!
Ok, I could eat cake daily Christina! I could eat chocolate, vanilla, lemon, cinnamon, cookies, brownies, you name it…I’m seriously a sweet addict. I’m soooo with you too…I loathe bananas but I LOVE molasses…how weird is that. Can you taste the bananas? I really can’t stand the taste of them, but this cake looks so gorgeous!! I’m intrigued! 🙂
Thank you, Brandi! Actually, you can taste the bananas, just like you can the molasses, but it’s honestly, it’s just a perfect hint of both. That said, I think if you aren’t a fan of bananas, you may not like this cake. BUT, if you could eat cake daily, this is a fabulous one … it may even change your mind about bananas 😉
Thanks for stopping by, girl; great hearing from you!
xo
Ok, my dear, you may have convinced me to give it a whirl! I’m actually trying o learn to like bananas after researching their incredible nutritional powerhouse of benefits. Why not start by putting them in cake right, lol?! I can veganize it by playing around with a couple ingredients. I love that there is almond meal in it too. I’m saving this recipe!! 🙂
Awesome! Let me know how you like it =)
Big hugs, Brandi; talk soon!
xo
Ok, Christina! I just copied and saved this recipe…finally going to try to give it a whirl today or tomorrow! I may just use one banana and just increase a little liquid…I’m afraid if its too banana-ish, I won’t eat it and waste it. I’ll let you know!! 🙂
Omg it’s delicious!! I hate bananas but love this!! I changed the recipe a bit to accommodate it to be vegan and oil-free, but it turned out light, fluffy, moist and delicious. I was successful on my first try, so I was excited. I’ll do a post this week on it and the changes I made to make it vegan and oil-free…inking to you of course. I made 2 versions, one vegan and one vegan and gluten-free since I have so many gluten-free readers. My gluten-free version is basically a whole new recipe, lol, but still tastes just like banana and molasses!! Thank you so much for sharing this Christina!! xoxo
Awesome! That’s fabulous, Brandi!
And should I also say, “welcome to the banana club?” 😉 I am so glad you so enjoyed it, lovely, and I am excited to read your post (and adapted recipes) and thank you so much in advance for the shout out. It’s always extra special when your fellow food sisters enjoy; a super compliment =)
Always a pleasure, girl; thanks for stopping back on by and letting me know!
xo
Hey girl! Here’s the post on it! Thank you so much for sharing this. I had SO MUCH fun getting creative in the kitchen…truly fun! I’m getting lots of response on facebook too from it! I linked to you as well! xoxo
http://thehealthyflavor.com/2013/06/03/banana-molasses-cake-with-molasses-cream-frosting/
Oh, Brandi, thank you! I appreciate the shout out, sister, and I’m so glad that you had so much fun in the kitchen! That’s great, and so awesome to hear when your recipe is an inspiration to others =)
Here’s to fellow food sisters whipping it up in the kitchen and to the humble banana! Bet you never thought you’d be toasting to The Banana, huh? 😉
Big hugs and thanks again, Brandi!
xo
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I can almost *taste* this cake – delish. Unlike you I adore bananas so always have some in the bowl waiting to be transformed into baked goods 🙂
Wonderful! Thanks so much, HungryMum =)
it looks so delicious and very easy to make!
Thank you so much, Rita, and it is, and the banana/molasses combination? Fabulous =) Thanks for stopping by, kopela, harika =)
Your last two words were the most surprising of all!!
=)
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I loved this recipe! I actually used it and your helpful tips and posted about it over at my blog. Thanks so much for opening my eyes to bananas and molasses. 🙂
Thank you so much, gwynnem! I really appreciate the love and you are so welcome =) It is always such a treat to hear; truly my pleasure and happy to help =)
Yummm this looks tasty, and the texture looks very even and moist! I will have to try this 🙂
It is! Please do and stop on back and let me know how you liked it =)
Warmest to you, Leslie; thanks for dropping by!
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What is almond meal and where do you find it??
Hi Sheila,
To answer your question, almond meal is just basically ground-up almonds. You can find it in most grocery stores in pre-packaged packages or you can make your own by throwing a bunch of almonds in a food processor and processing to a fine, almost flour-like consistency. If you don’t have a food processor, a mortar and pestle works just as well too, but obviously, more time consuming =) Hope that helped, and any other questions, please let me know!
Thanks for stopping by!
xo