I am yet to find somebody on this planet who does not eagerly say ‘yes please’! when offered a slice of banana bread! Mixing ripe bananas into cake mixture ensures a beautifully moist texture whilst also adding a hint of sweet banana flavour. Bananas go so well with blueberries and lemons so they make an ideal combination in this amazing loaf cake. By adding almond butter, it further adds to the moist and creamy texture, whilst also acting as a binder in the absence of eggs.
You could easily eat this for breakfast, dessert or even take it on a picnic. I can image looking forward to this after a day of hiking too – the most delicious way to refuel!
Because this cake is vegan and therefore, does not use eggs as a binder, the inclusion of chia seeds, bananas and almond butter are important because they help to structure the cake and keep it from falling apart.
As this loaf serves at least 10 slices, it uses a 2lb (900g) loaf tin, it requires a longer cooking time to ensure the middle of the loaf cake is thoroughly cooked. After 30 mins in the oven, you might find the top of the cake starts to brown quickly, but you can slow that process down by placing a piece of tin foil over the top and removing it a few minutes before the end of cooking time.
You can see how deliciously moist this cake is below! Coconut oil when at room temperature (in cooler climates) sets as a creamy, sold consistency which gives the texture a really creamy fudge cake texture – just perfect!
Lemon, Blueberry & Almond Banana Loaf - vegan
Equipment
- 2lb (900g) loaf tin roughly 21cmx11cmx6cm
Ingredients
Wet
- 3 medium-large very ripe bananas
- 270 mls almond milk or any plant-based milk
- 1 juice & zest lemon
- 80 g solid coconut oil
- 1.5 TBSP pure Maple syrup or rice malt syrup
- 2 TBSP almond butter
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Dry
- 200 g wholemeal spelt flour
- 100 g jumbo rolled oats
- 100 g coconut sugar
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 TBSP chia seeds
extra
- 1 cup fresh of frozen blueberries
Instructions
- Place all of the wet ingredients into a food processor and process a few times until fully combined.
- Next, add all of the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in the food processor and process for about 30 seconds or more until all of the ingredients are combined fully.
- Line a 2lb (900g) loaf tin with baking paper and then pour the cake mixture in to the loaf tin.
- Pour the blueberries on top of the cake mixture then gently swirl them into the mixture with a spoon.
- Bake the cake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C for a total of 50 minutes. After 30 minutes, check the top of the cake to make sure it is not turning brown too quickly. If it is, place a piece of foil over the top of the cake whilst it cooks for the remaining 20 minutes. Check it is cooked by inserting a skewer into the cake and ensuring it comes out clean. If not, cook for another 5 or more minutes until properly cooked.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, remove it from the loaf tin by carefully lifting the ends of the baking paper and resting it on a rack to cool for another 30 minutes.
- Cut the loaf into 10-12 equal slices and serve. Store wrapped in baking paper or kitchen roll, in an airtight container on the counter top for up to 2 days or in the fridge for longer.
