Post by Sheila on May 18, 2011 20:51:46 GMT -5
Banana Black Cake
(makes 25 portions)
3 cups walnuts
11/2 cups pitted dates
21/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup unsifted whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon each nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice
1/2 teaspoon each salt, ground cloves and ginger
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup each granulated sugar and light brown sugar
4 eggs
11/2 cups seedless blackberry jam
5 medium bananas (2 cups)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup dark raisins
Adjust two racks, the first one-third up from the bottom and the second on the lowest rack. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 10-by-4-inch (20-cup capacity) tube pan. Line with parchment paper and butter the paper. Chop 2/3 cup of the walnuts finely and turn into the buttered and papered pan to coat the pan evenly. Distribute loose nuts evenly on the bottom of the pan.
Chop remaining nuts less fine. Cut dates into medium-size pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Sift together the flours, cocoa, spices and salt, then set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Beat in vanilla and both sugars. Beat eggs one at a time, then beat in the blackberry jam. Coarsely mash bananas and beat into batter. Stir baking soda into the buttermilk until baking soda dissolves. Add to batter. Scrape sides of bowl. On low speed, gradually add the sifted ingredients, beating until incorporated. With a wooden spoon, stir in nuts, dates and raisins.
Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth top. Cover the top with aluminum foil and place the covered pan in the oven. Place a shallow pan of hot water on the lowest rack (to keep steam in the oven). Bake for one hour, remove the aluminum foil and bake for 11/2 more hours, or until a cake tester inserted gently all the way to the bottom comes out clean. Let cake stand for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Chill and cut into thin slices.
Banana carrot loaf
Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf
1 cup light raisins (steamed)
1 cup (packed) grated carrots
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon each baking soda and cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large bananas (1 cup)
Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan (8-cup capacity) and dust with bread crumbs.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs just to mix. Beat in sugar and oil. Coarsely chop bananas and add to egg mixtures along with raisins and carrots. Then on low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients and beat, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, until thoroughly mixed. Turn mixture into prepared pan. Bake for one hour, 10 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the loaf, all the way to the bottom, comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan.
(makes 25 portions)
3 cups walnuts
11/2 cups pitted dates
21/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 cup unsifted whole-wheat flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon each nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice
1/2 teaspoon each salt, ground cloves and ginger
2 sticks unsalted butter
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup each granulated sugar and light brown sugar
4 eggs
11/2 cups seedless blackberry jam
5 medium bananas (2 cups)
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup dark raisins
Adjust two racks, the first one-third up from the bottom and the second on the lowest rack. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Butter a 10-by-4-inch (20-cup capacity) tube pan. Line with parchment paper and butter the paper. Chop 2/3 cup of the walnuts finely and turn into the buttered and papered pan to coat the pan evenly. Distribute loose nuts evenly on the bottom of the pan.
Chop remaining nuts less fine. Cut dates into medium-size pieces. Toss with 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Sift together the flours, cocoa, spices and salt, then set aside. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Beat in vanilla and both sugars. Beat eggs one at a time, then beat in the blackberry jam. Coarsely mash bananas and beat into batter. Stir baking soda into the buttermilk until baking soda dissolves. Add to batter. Scrape sides of bowl. On low speed, gradually add the sifted ingredients, beating until incorporated. With a wooden spoon, stir in nuts, dates and raisins.
Turn the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth top. Cover the top with aluminum foil and place the covered pan in the oven. Place a shallow pan of hot water on the lowest rack (to keep steam in the oven). Bake for one hour, remove the aluminum foil and bake for 11/2 more hours, or until a cake tester inserted gently all the way to the bottom comes out clean. Let cake stand for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Chill and cut into thin slices.
Banana carrot loaf
Makes 1 (9-inch) loaf
1 cup light raisins (steamed)
1 cup (packed) grated carrots
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon each baking soda and cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large bananas (1 cup)
Adjust rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan (8-cup capacity) and dust with bread crumbs.
Sift flour, cocoa, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.
In the large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs just to mix. Beat in sugar and oil. Coarsely chop bananas and add to egg mixtures along with raisins and carrots. Then on low speed, add the sifted dry ingredients and beat, scraping the bowl with a rubber spatula, until thoroughly mixed. Turn mixture into prepared pan. Bake for one hour, 10 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the middle of the loaf, all the way to the bottom, comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 to 15 minutes before removing from the pan.