Wednesday, May 10, 2017

Banana Crazy Cake (No Butter, Eggs, Milk or Mess) ~ Inspired by the Depression Era Recipe (aka Wacky Cake) w/ GF Option


"We make our own cakes, in a great measure, therefore let us look to it, my brethren, that they are mixed according to the best receipt, baked in a well regulated oven, and gratefully eaten with a temperate appetite.”
~ Louisa May Alcott, An Old-Fashioned Girl

I am still on my mission and am here to share the second recipe developed for my personal "pantry cookbook" which I am including in my Proverbs 31 Preparedness Binder! No butter, eggs or milk is required in this easiest ever recipe. We also share the gluten-free alternative so you can have your cake and eat it too! It is inspired by the famous Great Depression "wacky" cake recipe. This cake is so moist and best of all, it is very frugal and a great way to use up aged bananas!


Ingredients:
  • 3 c. flour (or gluten-free flour blend)
  • 1 1/2 c. sugar (you may be able to get away with 1 1/4 c. if you want to reduce your sugar intake)
  • 2 tsp. baking soda (3 tsp. if using gluten-free flour blend)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt 
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • Approx. 3 - 4 over-ripe bananas
  • 1/2 c. + 1 tbsp. oil (we use sunflower)
  • 1/2 c. cold water
  • 2 tbsp. white vinegar (use apple cider vinegar for gluten-free cake)


Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

Mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cinnamon together in an "un-greased" 9 by 13 inch pan.

Gently stir the dry ingredients inside the pan until they are somewhat blended.



Puree or finely mash together (in a separate bowl) the bananas and water (I used our Nutribullet for quick work).


Add the banana and water mixture, the oil and the vinegar to the pan. Stir the batter directly in the pan until combined. 

Make sure the batter is even and smooth across the top when you are finished mixing it.


Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 - 35 minutes (it is finished when a toothpick inserted inside the center comes out clean). 

The banana cake will be quite golden brown when finished but nice and moist on the inside!

Cool on a wire rack before serving and/or frosting. 



Now is the hard part! I immediately felt that banana cake required a cream cheese frosting (yes, I know, this no longer makes it dairy-free or frugal) while the frosting connoisseur (my daughter) was adamant that it required chocolate. Such tumult in the home! :) Because she offered to prepare the frosting, she won. And I must say she may be on to something... What do you think? If I had a choice, I would probably have a piece of each!

You will find our printable recipe HERE . 
All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making MondaysModest Mom Monday'sMonday's MusingsGood Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a TwistRaising HomemakersWise Woman Link UpHomestead Blog Hop Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and ConversationHomemaking ThursdaysHome Sweet HomeOur Simple HomesteadAwesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).

44 comments:

  1. Dearest JES,
    this sounds truly outstanding,
    I have to give it a try,
    I'm sincerely feeling so enthusiastic with this recipe of yours !

    Wishing you a joy-filled day
    I'm sending blessings across the miles

    XOXO Dany

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    1. Thank you Dany -- I hope you enjoy it! :)

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  2. Wow, what a nice recipe! Nothing that you don't have at home every day. And looks very tasty!

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    1. Exactly -- easy and down to earth... I hope you give it a try!

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  3. Thanks for the recipe JES. It looks delicious and would be nice in our cold weather.

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    1. You are welcome! With a nice cup of tea or coffee, you have yourself a piece of cake, good book and a cozy time in your chilly weather! :)

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  4. My mother always made a Depression-era chocolate wacky cake! It's so cool to learn there's a banana cake version!

    That frosting looks amazingly thick and rich--any chance you could share the recipe?

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    1. Hi Sue! I have been having fun re-vamping the crazy cake recipe for different flavors! I am glad this interests you too! I have a lot more variations to share as I get time :) I will get the frosting recipe on as soon as I am able. We do like it as it has more cocoa powder added than powdered sugar giving it a delightful taste and texture!

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    2. Chocolate Fudge Frosting
      • ½ cup butter
      • 1 2/3 cup cocoa powder
      • 2 cups powdered sugar
      • 1/3 milk (start with less)
      • 1 tsp. vanilla
      Soften butter to room temperature. Cream all ingredients together except for milk. Add milk a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.

      Enjoy! (This recipe is from my sister-in-law :)

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    3. Just checked back today and saw that you posted the frosting recipe--thank you SO MUCH (and thank your sister-in-law as well)! I've got the bananas waiting in the freezer and I can tell you for certain what's for dessert this weekend! Looking forward to making both cake and frosting!

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  5. I always feel like banana cake HAS to have cream cheese frosting. Then again, I'm a big time chocolate lover...so now I'm curious about this! I'll have to try chocolate frosting on my next banana cake. :) Looks delicious!

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    1. I share the same sentiments and was pleasantly surprised at the chocolate... but then again, chocolate and I are longtime friends! :) Thanks for visiting!

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    2. How about a chocolate cream cheese icing? 😋

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    3. You are definitely speaking my language ;)

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  6. Mmmmm.... What a fabulous cake, my friend! Thank you for sharing the recipe :)

    May you have a beautiful and blessed Mother's Day! Hugs to you!

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    1. Thank you Stephanie! May your days be blessed and bright too :)

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  7. I'm not a cream cheese frosting type o' girl so I'll take chocolate fudge on mine, please. My my, that looks delicious.
    Have a great Wednesday!

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    1. One piece of banana cake with chocolate frosting... coming right up! :)

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  8. JES
    This looks so yummy! Cake or cupcakes are my absolute favorite! They are so versatile and easy! Thanks for sharing another one.
    XOXO
    Vicky

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    1. You are welcome! I am having fun with these and am glad to share! :)

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  9. Oh, now the chocolate grabbed my attention for sure... I need to grab some more plastic sleeves, my binder is bursting with would be recipes... lol

    Blessing JES, and thank you for sharing.

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    1. You are welcome! Thanks for taking the time to visit Andi! :)

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  10. JES,

    How would you describe the cake's crumb? Is it a dry, crumbly cake? Or is it moist?

    Our girls liked a burnt-sugar or a (cooked) caramel frosting on our banana cakes. When we lived in the Philippines and were gifted an entire bunch of bananas macheted fresh off the tree, the girls would nearly do a dance, thinking about the banana cake they'd frost right out of the oven. Mmmmm!

    *hugs*
    ~Kelley

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    1. Hi there Kelley! The cake is definitely a moist one! Your cooked caramel frosting has my attention!!! That sounds yummy -- I would probably join the girls in the dance! We actually have a banana tree in our backyard -- unfortunately, after 6 years, no eatable bananas yet :(

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  11. Yum...It sounds good. I make caramel frosting for mine, but chocolate.. Yes please! How bout a chocolate cream cheese frosting? It might work! ;)
    Thanks for sharing. I'm saving this recipe!
    Happy Mother's Day, Jes!

    Hugs, Amy

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    1. Thanks Amy! A chocolate cream cheese frosting may just be the perfect compromise! :) I hope your weekend is lovely too! :)

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  12. I'll happily have a piece of your version with cream cheese and your daughter's version with chocolate. While you're at it, throw in a 3rd piece with Amy's suggestion of a chocolate cream cheese frosting!
    And some coffee, please! Yummy!!

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    1. Wouldn't that be a fun day if we all could get together for a cake and coffee party! :)

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  13. Hi Jes, it looks yummy..I'll try the receipt!
    Thanks for sharing :)
    Have a nice week-end,
    Roberta

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  14. Oh yummy! I'll have to make this someday soon :)

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  15. 'Looks and sounds delicious! Our son's favorite is a simple yellow cake with chocolate frosting. He would probably vote with your daughter! ;-) I, on the other hand, would probably prefer cream cheese. Another house divided! ;-) -Marci @ Stone Cottage Adventures

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  16. This sounds great, JES... and like something the family would LOVE. :)

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  17. I made a chocolate cake version of this. It was delicious! Thanks for sharing at Home Sweet Home!

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  18. Oh my!! This looks amazing!!! Thanks for sharing.

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  19. This looks delicious and so simple ... just the kind of recipes I like!

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  20. omg! yummy!! I should try bake this when my daughter visit us next week

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  21. My handicapped son and I tried this today as a way to keep busy during the Corona Virus. It was easy and fun to make, and just as fun to eat. My son commented during his first tasting 'Wow, I'm such a good baker' :) Thanks so much

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  22. While living in Covid 19 avoidance, I just made this cake. I halved it and it baked nicely in my 8x8 dish. I did add a bit of vanilla. Later frosted it with half a cream cheese frosting recipe. Very tasty! Thanks for the recipe!

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  23. I've had this pinned for quite some time and am looking forward to making it once I have some overripe bananas. Personally, I LOVE chocolate and banana, but I think a nice peanut butter frosting would be lovely as well. :)

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  24. Thanks for this recipe! I have a bunch of bananas to use up and needed a recipe my dairy-and corn-allergy kiddo could eat. I'm thinking of mixing natural butter, honey, cocoa powder, and a little water to a frosting consistency to frost the cake. Maybe two frostings, one batch without the cocoa powder!

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  25. Hi from Aussie, JES! A chocolate "Cockeyed Cake" from a great little cookbook called the "I Hate To Cook Book", which I was given in the 70's, has been my all-time favourite choc cake and my children's too - a war-time recipe. So I thank you for the variations! I'm sure a frosting using non-dairy "butter" such as Nuttelex and a soy, almond or other preferred milk would be great. I have 2 vegan children who use these often.

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    1. Ah... so Australia has its own version of this cake... how fun to revisit these recipes and adapt them for today 😊💛

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  26. This was delicious and so easy to prepare. Thank you for sharing. I just sprinkled it with bakers powdered sugar.

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    1. Wonderful!!! Thank you for sharing that 😊💛 and that is a quick and frugal option!

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