Happy 2017! Who’s craving cake? I know I am. I can think of no better time to eat a big slice of cake with fluffy frosting than on the first weekend of the year. After all, they say January sets the tone for your entire year. Let’s set ourselves up right, people. The entire rest of the year is depending on the choices we make RIGHT NOW. 
I’m not big into resolutions. Are you? I love the idea of setting goals and challenging myself to be a better person, but I don’t like being pressured to do so in January. I do already have one goal I’d like to accomplish this year, though, and it’s connected to cake. Not this cake, per se, but cake nonetheless.
Ready for it? You’re going to think I’m crazy…
I’ve been thinking a lot about wedding cakes and how it would be super fun to make them for free. I’ve made cakes for three different friends’ weddings, my sister’s wedding, and then again this summer I made the cakes for my own wedding. I’m not a trained professional, so there’s no fondant, sculpting, or other complicated techniques involved. Just gorgeous, rustic homemade cakes that taste great and help spread the love at people’s weddings. Wedding cakes are outrageously expensive, and unless you have a special connection to the bakery, can be so impersonal. I feel like a cake made by a person you know (aka me) who put their heart into it is so much more appropriate for a wedding than some random, flavorless tower of cardboard-y cake. 
So, tell me- should I get this free wedding cake show on the road or what? I could only take on a few a year, but still. Giving away a cake feels so right to me; maybe 2017 will be the year of generosity. 
Anyway, let’s get back to this banana cake. To no one’s surprise, I based it off of my favorite banana bread recipe. With a few simple tweaks, banana bread became a moist, luscious cake just begging to be smothered in frosting. The cake itself still has some of the healthier perks of my fav banana bread, too: whole wheat flour, maple syrup, olive oil, and super ripe bananas. The addition of extra vanilla extract and canned coconut milk make it fragrant, tender, and oh-so moist. 
The frosting was inspired by chocolate avocado pudding, which has been on my mind a lot lately. Instead of the dense, custard-like texture of avocado pudding, this frosting is perfectly silky and fluffy. Somehow, I managed to turn avocados into a buttercream look-alike that even Kevin approved of. The avocado leaves behind a tiny speck of earthy flavor, but is otherwise overpowered by the bold flavor of dark chocolate. (This might be a good time to let Kevin know there was avocado in that frosting he liked last weekend. Surprise!)
I expected the frosting to go bad after a day or two, since avocados tend to break down in the fridge, but it has held up surprisingly well. I made this last Friday and have been packing a slice with my lunch everyday this week. The frosting is definitely best after 3-5 days, but I’m not complaining at day 7; any day with cake is a good day. 
I hope you give this cake a try! It’s perfectly tender, moist, and full of banana flavor. The layer of creamy chocolate frosting on top makes it feel like a celebration every time you eat a piece. The cake itself can be made in 1-bowl, and there’s nothing complicated or intimidating about this recipe. If you can mash, stir, and measure, you can handle making this cake in your own kitchen. Trust me, it’s so worth the effort.
If you make this recipe, let me know how it turns out! Leave a comment below or take a picture and share it with me on Facebook or Instagram. Happy cake-ing, friends!
Maple Olive Oil Banana Cake with Chocolate Avocado Frosting
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 very ripe bananas*
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk**
- 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour***
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Frosting
- 2 ounces of unsweetened baking chocolate substitute dark or semisweet chocolate for a slightly sweeter frosting
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- a pinch of salt
- 1 very ripe avocado
Instructions
- 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-inch round pan with nonstick spray.
- 2. Peel bananas and put them into a large bowl, mashing them with either a fork or a potato masher. Add all wet ingredients (egg, oil, maple, milk, vanilla), and stir well to combine. Finally, add in all dry ingredients, and stir until just combined.
- 3. Pour cake batter into the pan, and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until cake is cooked through. A toothpick inserted into the center should come out dry. Allow cake to cool to room temperature before adding frosting.
- 4. While cake cools, make frosting. Place chocolate and coconut milk into a microwave safe bowl (I used a glass Pyrex measuring cup) and microwave in 30 second intervals until chocolate is melted. Alternately, you can do this on the stove over medium-low heat, stirring well. Add all remaining ingredients except avocado, and stir well. Transfer to the fridge to cool.
- 5. When chocolate mixture is cool (at least room temperature, but preferably cold), transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor, add avocado, and whip until light and fluffy. Taste frosting, and add up to 1/4 cup more maple syrup or powdered cane sugar to increase the sweetness to your preferences.
- 6. Top cake with frosting, and serve. Leftovers should be stored in the fridge, and keep well for at least 5 days.
Notes
**Full-fat canned coconut milk helps keep this cake extra moist. If you're looking for a substitute, I'd recommend whole milk or even light cream.
***White whole wheat flour has the same nutrition profile as whole wheat, but a more mild flavor. If you only have regular whole wheat, try using 1 cup of whole wheat and 1/2 cup of all-purpose. As written, this cake does not taste 'whole wheat'.
Hand-held cake is the best cake.