Banana Chocolate Cake with wheat flour / Healthy banana cake

Banana Chocolate Cake With Wheat Flour / Healthy Banana Chocolate Cake

Who doesn't like cakes, and that too chocolate cake? Everybody loves it and kids will go crazy for it. But the question is
- is it healthy? Chocolate - to some extent is healthy, what about maida or all purpose flour? It is not considered to be healthy and adds on unnecessary calories. 90% of all cakes, biscuits, cookies, snacks, etc., are made with maida ( refined wheat flour ).

Today I am posting a healthy version of chocolate cake as it is made from wheat flour and bananas. I was quite apprehensive about the outcome while preparing this cake. But the result was really unbelievable. Though the texture was a bit chewy, it was moist and perfect. My kids loved it and asked me to keep it as their snack for their short break. I did not hesitate as it was a healthy option. I was very happy to see their boxes returning empty. This is what any mother wants and it is indeed very nice to see the boxes khaali ( empty ). So, my dear friends, prepare this yummy chocolate cake and store in the refrigerator for 5-6 days. Microwave for 30-45 seconds before serving. This is one of the best ways to use up your over-ripe bananas. You can also check banana appalu which is another yummy sweet dish that can be offered as Naivedhyam to God during festive occasions.

Preparation

Mash the ripe bananas finely such that there are no lumps. I took three small bananas and mashed to get 1/2 cup of  banana pulp. You can use the grinder for mashing. Keep this pulp aside. Grind sugar to a fine powder. Keep aside.

Sieve atta ( wheat flour ), maida, cocoa powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder and transfer to a mixing bowl. Keep aside.

Heat milk in a pan.

Add ghee to this hot milk and whisk well until you get nice bubbles.

Add powdered sugar to milk and mix well. Add mashed banana and vanilla essence to this milk and mix well.

Add the sieved flour mixture in batches of 2 and fold until well combined.

Do not over mix. Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Centigrade. Grease a baking tray or a bread loaf pan with ghee or oil. Dust with maida on all sides.

Gently pour the cake mixture into the greased pan and tap the pan for an even texture.

Top with chopped cashews and bake at 180 degrees Centigrade for 30 minutes.

Check with toothpick in the centre after baking for 40 minutes. If done, remove and cool on wire rack. If not done, bake for another 5-10 minutes at 160 degrees Centigrade. Let it cool in the oven for sometime and then remove. Cool on wire rack.

Allow it cool completely before slicing.

Enjoy when warm or cold. If you want to store it for future use, store in an air tight container and refrigerate it. Microwave the required slices before serving for a few seconds - 30-45 seconds.
Sprinkle choco vermicelli on the slices before serving.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour 3/4 cup
Maida 1/4 cup
Cocoa Powder 1/3 cup
Sugar ( crystal ) 2/3 cup
Baking Soda 3/4 tsp
Ghee 1/8 cup
Milk 3/4 cup
Vanilla Essence 1/2 tsp
Banana ( mashed ) 1/2 cup
Cinnamon Powder 1/2 tsp
Cashews for garnishing
Choco Vermicelli for garnishing

Method

1. Mash the ripe bananas and keep aside.
2. Grind the sugar to a fine powder and keep aside.
3. Sieve atta ( wheat flour ), maida, cocoa powder, baking powder and cinnamon powder and transfer to a bowl.
4. Heat milk in a pan and add ghee to it. Whisk it well until bubbles form on the top layer.
5. Add the powdered sugar and mix it well.
6. Add mashed banana and vanilla essence and mix well.
7. Add the flour mixture to the milk mixture and mix gently until well combined. Do not over mix.
8. Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Centigrade. Grease a baking tray and dust with flour.
9. Pour this cake mixture to the greased tray and top with cashews.
10. Bake at 180 degrees Centigrade for 40 minutes. Check with a toothpick in the centre of the cake.
11. If done, remove and cool on a wire rack. If undone, bake at 160 degrees Centigrade for another 5-10 minutes. Let it cool in the oven for some time. Then remove and cool completely on the wire rack. Slice and serve warm or cold.
12. Refrigerate in an air tight container for future use. Microwave for 30-45 seconds before serving.
13. Sprinkle some choco vermicelli before serving.

Notes

• I have used Pillsburry wheat flour.
• Any kind of nuts like pistachios, walnuts etc., can be used for garnishing.
• The sugar was just right for me. If you have a sweet tooth, you can increase the sugar by another 1/4 cup.
• Always keep an eye during baking after 20 minutes. Each oven differs in the way they function. The time of baking also depends on the size of the tray used for baking. The volume of the cake mixture poured in the tray is also one of the factors for the time of the baking. Hence, always request you to be very careful and check in between without removing from the oven. At any circumstances, do not remove the cake out from the oven without completely baking. Check with a toothpick, while the cake pan is still in the oven. If done, remove and cool. If not done, bake for some more time at a reduced temperature and check after every 5 minutes.
• The same batter can be used for making muffins or cup cakes.