So I have to admit this crazy fruity carob pudding cake is probably my most unconventional cake to date {and I make A LOT of unusual stuff}, and it came about as a result of a reader asking me for advice on finding a cake for their one year-old's upcoming birthday: the challenge was that the cake ideally should only be made from either fruits, veggies, and possibly rice flour. No sweeteners, nuts, or seeds. I was told cocoa powder was ok. And so I ended up with this gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free, nut-free, and oil-free {and lots more "free-from"} delicious crazy cake.
I had no idea this cake would generate such a huge interest and intrigue on social media -- seems like everyone has been dying to know what's in this beauty after seeing the photos, so I'll share a bit more about my process of making this cake and what makes it work. Plus when you've got a crazy cake like this, some things require an explanation... You've been warned though, this definitely ain't your typical birthday cake ;)
I first read the cake request while having my morning coffee one day last week and straight away my mind started throwing ideas around because the concept just sounded so odd and interestingly challenging. And once I get a "challenge" like that it just won't go away until I find a solution. So I started thinking... a fruit-sweetened cake has not been an issue for me before, but it's usually combined with nuts for a more balanced flavor. Using just rice flour in a cake can make it taste a little meh and it's hard to get the right texture, especially without binders like guar gum, or starchy thickeners, etc. and I didn't even want to go there -- just wanted to keep things simple for the baby here. Veggies without something to mask the flavor are also not ideal in a cake...
And then, Eureka! I remembered a dessert I had made just days before from my talented {and super unconventional} friend Natalie over at Feasting on Fruit -- her crazy fruity fudge bars {if you haven't tried those yet, you totally should!} and straight away could see how I could adapt it into a cake. I also thought it would be perfect because the texture is very soft, and with baby in mind it just seemed like the perfect consistency for a treat. I had to swap things around of course, but I could visually see how the whole thing would come together and so surprised at myself, I put what I needed to do for the day aside, and into the kitchen I went...
Natalie's fruity crazy fudge had the basic foundation I needed to work with -- a sturdy base made from only bananas, dates, and oat flour. So I swapped out the oats for rice flour {using an even ratio of brown rice flour and sweet sticky/glutinous rice flour for a better texture balance}, and adjusted the flavors a little to make it more cake-like. The consistency with the rice flour is different to the one with oats by the way -- a little more pudding-like, but still very sturdy. But the biggest thing that came to me was to use toasted carob powder in place of cacao powder. Carob has a remarkable flavor that is something like a fruity chocolate, and this flavor comes through all-the-more when actually combined with fruit like banana. So I decided to use that. If you prefer a more chocolatey cake, just use cacao powder in equal measure and it will taste great too {I've tested it out on Natalie's bars and it was yummy}, but I say go with toasted carob powder if you can if you want a unique and special fruity and caramel-like cake.
The result of this base mix is a very unconventional cake indeed -- something like a cross between a pudding and a fudge. It's not exactly cakey, but holds up like a cake and can be layered, frosted, and handled just like one. And when chilled, it becomes this amazingly delicious sturdy pudding-fudge cake. I mean look at this cake -- you wouldn't know it's made from just bananas {9 to be exact!}, dates, rice flour, and carob! I would order that any day at a cafe {and in fact hinted to everyone that if they are going to be surprising me for my birthday with a cake this year -- this better be the one. Ask me what happened last year if you want to know why this is so... ;)}.
With the cake coming out successfully out of the oven, I then went to think about the frosting. What could be done? I really wanted this to look like a real-deal cake with a real deal frosting. The solution? Blend pretty much the same ingredients that are in the cake and use that as a frosting, of course! Almost the same ingredients, slightly different flavors, very different texture. The frosting tastes like a carob-caramel frosting and had the best consistency ever for a frosting -- I believe this is the first time I've actually managed to pull of a dairy-free, and refined sugar-free frosting that works just like real frosting would. Super easy to use, very spreadable, holds together beautifully, and permanently remains intact without anything sliding off, oozing out of the cake, or not sticking to the sides, etc. Best frosting ever -- it's definitely going to be my go to for a lot of cakes from now on.
So, now you know what makes this magical crazy carob pudding cake work. Pretty neat, huh? Ready to make it yet? Well, I have a few more notes to share on handling and assembly first:
- I made this cake in my Vitamix and I have to say a high power blender would probably work best here. If you're making it in a regular blender, especially if it's a smaller one, you'll need to a) split the base ingredients into two and blend it in two batches, and b) stop periodically and scrape down the sides and help things to mix along with a spatula. Don't give up -- keep going and pausing as long and as many times as you need to until you get that smooth consistency!
- I chose to make it into a two layer 6" cake. I say that's probably the best way to go if you want a pretty-looking layered cake. Even though it's fruity and oil-free, it's quite decadent and looks amazingly just like a cake. It's just more special that way ;) You can alternatively make this into a single layer 9" cake though if you prefer {if you don't feel comfortable with frosting layered cakes, this may be the way to go}.
- The cake really needs to cool off properly after baking because the texture is delicate and you don't want to wreck it by accident... It will also seem a little moist -- don't worry about that, so long as it feels sturdy, you're good to go. The moist look will go away once the cake has chilled overnight. So give it a good amount of time to cool off after taking it out of the oven. I first let the the two pans sit on a cooling rack for about an hour. I then carefully flipped the base out onto a plate and then back onto the cooling rack {with the help of a cake lifter} and let it cool a few more hours just to be safe. You can feel when it's fully cool to the touch..
- It really helps if you oil your pans well {or use a good non-stick pan if you prefer}, but also make sure to line the bottom of each pan with a circle of parchment paper just to be extra safe when flipping the cake out of the pan.
- Make the frosting when you are actually ready to frost. Don't worry about crumb coating the cake first or pipping a ring out in the in-between layer to hold the frosting in -- it's not going to go anywhere ;) . Just put the cake on your cake plate {having a cake lifter really helps here} {I stuck a few pieces of parchment paper all around underneath the base layer, sort of like this, so that when you're done frosting, you can just pull out the parchment and be left with a clean cake plate all around}, spread some of the frosting in an even layer and top with the next layer. Then frost all around the top and sides as you would with a normal cake.
- I chose to top the cake with some of my favorite healthy and pretty toppings, and luckily they fit the bill in terms of permitted ingredients here: just some cacao nibs and dried white mulberries. I think edible flowers or other dried berries would work well too for a natural & healthy cake topping.
- For easiest slicing and plating, refrigerate the cake overnight. I actually found that while the cake tasted amazing the first day, the flavor just kept on improving with the cake sitting in the fridge with each passing day. Of course, it didn't make it past day three around here, but just saying -- don't be afraid to make it in advance :)
Oh, and for the banana-hating club {and I know some of you sure are ;) } I'm fairly certain this cake would work with ripe persimmons instead too. I've made something similar before and I have a 99.9999% feeling this would work just as well. I just didn't have any on hand to test it out. Someone suggested avocado as well on Facebook, and I think that would work well here too, but the flavors and sweetness would need to be adjusted a bit...
Ok, so sorry for the novel here, let's just get to the cake already:
PrintCrazy Fruity Carob Pudding Cake
A gluten-free, vegan, fruit-sweetened, oil-free and nut-free carob cake. Cake base adapted from this recipe from Feasting on Fruit.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: two layer 6" cake
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Dessert
Ingredients
Cake:
- 6 ripe bananas {or possibly ripe persimmons -- see notes above}
- 1½ cups soft medjool dates
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract {optional}
- 1 tsp cinnamon {optional}
- ¼ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup roasted carob powder {or cacao powder for a chocolate cake}
- ½ cup brown rice flour {or white rice flour}
- ½ cup sweet sticky rice flour {also known as glutinous rice flour}
Frosting:
- 3 ripe bananas {or possibly ripe persimmons -- see note above}
- 18 soft medjool dates
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice {optional}
- ½ cup water
- dash of sea salt
- ½ cup toasted carob powder {or cacao powder for a chocolate frosting}
- 1 cup sweet sticky rice flour {also known as glutinous rice flour}
Optional Toppings:
- Some dried white mulberries and cacao nibs to garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease your cake pans and line the bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Place bananas, medjool dates, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and water in a blender and blend into a smooth mixture. Add remaining ingredients and blend everything together, stopping periodically to scrape down the sides and help things mix together {see notes above if working without a high-power blender; use your tamper if using a Vitamix}.
- Transfer the batter into prepared pans, level out the tops and press the mixture in using a spatula. Tap the pan on the counter a few times go get rid of any air bubbles. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 1 hour. Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool completely before frosting {see notes above for more details}.
- When ready to frost, place bananas, medjool dates, vanilla, lemon juice, water, and sea salt into a blender and blend into a smooth consistency, add carob powder and sweet sticky rice flour and blend until mixture is uniform {just as you had done with the base layer}. Frost the cake {see notes above for tips}, decorate with toppings of your choice, and place in the fridge overnight for the cake to chill and fully set for best results. Enjoy!
Sara says
I was very excited to try your recipe as I am trying to stay away from all sugars. I didn't have any glutinous rice flour on hand and read that tapioca starch was a good substitute. I used the same amount for the cake, but was worried about the frosting as I read tapioca is poisonous uncooked, so I used almond and a little arrow root instead. I also missed your note on the pan size and split the cake into two 9" pans. I really had no idea how to tell the cake was finished cooking. I figured it wouldn't need as long as they were thinner than the 6" pans recommended in your recipe. I used an immersion blender for the frosting as my blender overheated for the cake.
The cake came out pretty dense and the frosting didn't really set well. Looks like I will be eating the rest myself. I am nervous about trying it again with my families reaction to my first attempt.
How do I know when it is done if the toothpick method doesn't work? Any words of encouragement?
Thanks!
The Real Person!
Hey Sara. I think the reason you were having issues is due to the substitutions: Tapioca works as a substitute for glutinous rice flour only in very small amounts, like if a recipe calls for a tbsp or two as a thickening agent, etc. Otherwise the two products are different and the end result will be different. Same with almond and arrowroot -- they are different to rice flour (almond more so than arrowroot) and blend and act differently in a recipe also. Different flours have different protein levels, fat levels, absorption capacities, etc.
I also don't think an immersion blender would be as effective at handling this type of thick sticky mixture being blended. A power blender, like a Vitamix works best here.
As for baking, you'd have to gauge it based on the pan(s) you're using. If the size is more or less similar to the recipe, keep it baking close to the time the recipe calls for, but check in on it some time before to make sure the top is not burning. If it looks like its starting to burn pull it out.
If you give it a try again, I recommend taking the time to get the right ingredients and equipment for best results. That's not to say that substitutions won't work, just that there's always a risk things won't work out as expected (as has been your experience with the first round here).
Hope this helps!
P.S. Not sure if you have a food processor, but maybe this cake would work better? https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/raw-vegan-holiday-fruitcake-recipe/ or this one if you have a blender: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/fig-hazelnut-caramel-cake
Sarah Morrison says
Hello! I think that's awesome you could make a cake using natural sugars, that is what led me to this recipe! I'm very new to baking with unconventional ingredients so I need some help. My family and I are not gluten-free so we do not keep all these unique types of flours and thickeners. I would prefer not to buy a variety of different flours and thickeners and only be able to use them for a handful of recipes. I was wondering if I could swap out the sweet sticky rice flour for xanthan gum? Also, could I just swap out all of the rice flours for regular flour instead? Would it still be moist?
Thank you for listening and this very neat recipe! -Sarah
The Real Person!
Hi Sarah. You can swap regular flour for the rice flour. Xantham gum wouldn't be a good swap for the sweet sticky rice flour -- they're quite different products. Sweet / sticky / glutinous rice flour (it goes by different names) is a unique flour in that it's very fine and adds springiness to recipes. It's often used in cakes that require gluten even because of its special properties. You can usually find it very easily and cheaply at most grocery stores if there is an "Asian" food aisle section. If you can't find any, I'd guess you can still try this recipe with just all regular flour, but since I haven't tried I can't guarantee results for sure. If it were me and I had to use all regular flour instead of rice + sticky rice flours here I'd just start with a bit less flour and see how the consistency is, and if the batter / frosting doesn't get too dry then can add more until you reach the equivalent of the measurements called for in the recipe. If you give it a try would love to hear how it turns out!
shelly pennington says
Hi tried this with brown rice flour and the tapioca starch substitute ratio you mentioned as an alternative to sticky rice flour and it worked great! I made a small version in glass bowls for my 1 year old's birthday and she loved it. The larger 6" version didn't get eaten by the conventional cake lovers in my family, so I was wondering if I could freeze the untouched double-layer 6 inch cake?
The Real Person!
Hi Shelly. Thanks for sharing -- I'm glad your 1 year old enjoyed it :) And yes, the cake freezes well.
Amy says
Hi,
I didn't see the comment about the tapioca starch ratio. What is that?
Thank you!
anat says
Hello Audrey,
i would love to try your recipe to my 2 years toddler.
if i don't have 6'' cake pans, but 11" (28 cm), how much time do i have to bake the cake?
(i'm going to to multiplied by 1.5 the ingredients accordingly)
how can i know that the cake is ready?
The Real Person!
Hi Anat.
I'm sorry for the delayed reply.
To go to an 11" single layer cake, you might need to multiply the recipe by 2, because the pan volume goes up quite a bit when you increase the pan size (for example, to go from a single layer 6" to a single layer 9" you usually have to double a recipe. Otherwise it might come out very thin.
I think the baking time will go up a bit, I'd try increasing it by 15 mins, but keep an eye out and if it looks like it might start getting a little burnt, take it out. It's a moist mousse-like cake on the inside, so the usual trick of testing with a skewer doesn't work as it would in a regular cake.
I hope your kid enjoys it :) happy birthday!
Michelle K says
I don't have rice flour at home. Would this work with oat in it instead, or would it have to be a mix of two flours?
The Real Person!
Hi Michelle, it would work with oat flour in place of the rice flour, but not in place of the sweet sticky rice flour (which is quite different). You can do all oats as well though, but the texture will be a bit different.
Darshni says
That is such a pretty looking cake and I can't wait to try it. I've got all the ingredients in hand but am not too sure of my measuring spoons. I don't know how to differentiate them from US and UK. HELP PLS!! I'm from Singapore by the way. Are your measurements based on US or UK? Does it affect the end results?
The Real Person!
Hi Darshni. I'm sorry for the late reply. I use North American measurements. My tbsp is 15ml (which is equivalent to 3 tsp of 5ml each). I'm not sure what size your spoons are, but just use those measurements as a rough guide.
Su says
Would this work with cutting out th e rice flour and just using the tapioca and arrowroot? cooking for someone on aip.
The Real Person!
Hi Su. Unfortunately I don't think this will work without the rice flour. However, I do have a few other AIP-friendly recipes on the blog that may be better suited. You can have a look in the "grain-free" section on the recipes page (and can also check off any other allergens you'd like to avoid): https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/all-recipes/
Maple says
I don't have glutinous rice flour. Please suggest alternative ingredient. Thank you.
The Real Person!
Hi Maple,
The sweet sticky rice flour is what makes this soft and pudding-like, because it’s very very fine and also absorbent. Here’s what I would recommend:
– Try looking for sweet sticky rice flour a bit more. It often goes by other names — glutinous rice flour, mochi flour, mochiko flour, etc. It's usually very inexpensive and would make the recipe work optimally.
– If you can’t find it, use 3/4 cups rice flour + 1/4 cup tapioca starch/arrowroot powder/potato starch. That should get the texture and consistency close enough to the original.
Good luck with it and I hope you find a way to enjoy this cake!
Alba says
Hello! I'd love to try this recipe, looks great! Just one question... the rice is already cooked, isn't it?
I've discovered this recipe looking for a carob cake, but I think your blog will be very, very interesting to me! Thank you!
The Real Person!
Hi Alba,
I'm so sorry I missed your question earlier. The rice in this cake is rice flour, not whole rice (so you don't need to cook it before using it in the recipe).
Mauraid says
Hi Audrey,
I love this and would really like to try to make it today. Ive got everything, but I haven't got the rice flour! What do you think about replacing the rice flour with coconut flour?
The Real Person!
Hi Mauraid, I don't think that would work. Coconut flour works completely differently to all other flours -- it's super absorbent and requires a high level of liquids in a recipe. Do you mean you don't have the brown rice flour or the sticky rice flour? The brown rice flour could be replaced with oat flour. But overall I liked the rice combo best in this.
Mauraid says
Thanks for you reply.
Actually, I don't have either of them and thanks for the oat suggestion. - I'll keep it mind.
I ended up making your blueberry cheesecake as I has all the ingredients and it is delicious! We've just eaten the last couple of slices. Oops. My boyfriend says it's now one of his favourites and demanded I make it more often! I've added a picture on instagram and tagged you in it, in case you'd like to see how it turned out.
I look forward to trying out some more of your recipes. :-)
The Real Person!
Aw, I'm so happy to hear that, Mauraid. I'll be sure to check out your cheesecake on Instagram today. I love that this made your boyfriend happy too! I have another older blueberry cheesecake on the blog as well that he might like too for a variation :)
hanna says
hello audrey
I would like to try this cake
I have a big stock of frozen bananas
Is that what you think I can use thawed bananas to make this cake or not at all
thank you
Hanna
The Real Person!
Hey Hanna,
I think fresh bananas will probably work better just because of the texture you get. I think frozen could work, but because I haven't tried I'd say go with fresh if possible just to be safe. But if you do try it with frozen, please let me know how it goes :) I'd love to know.
Blue Wren says
I love that you have used carob here (and in other recipes). Somehow carob seems to have fallen from favour in this cacao-crazed world, which is a shame because it marries so beautifully with dates. Can't wait to try it.
The Real Person!
I absolutely agree! It has such a beautiful flavor and sweetness.
Kathleen maRTIN says
CAN YOU REPLACE THE RICE FLOURS WITH SOMETHING ELSE??? I DO NOT WANT TO USE THE STICK RICE FLOUR OR BROWN RICE FLOUR...AND ARENT THEY WITH GLUTEN ANYWAY?
Sara says
No, rice doesn't have gluten in it.
Kate Horsman says
What an incredible recipe you have shared!! I'm so thankful for finding your site. I'm also so excited to share my Instagram of it when I get to posting. I can honestly say it is equally delicious as stunning. I just am so pleased with how it turned out. One question... I had plenty of leftover icing, a scant less after I had spoonfuls of it, but how can I best, or can I, store the icing to save? Any ideas? Thanks again for the beauty, taste and health. All about that ??
The Real Person!
Hi Kate -- thank you so much for the lovely feedback! So happy you like it and if you share it on instagram, I'd be super happy to see it! :)
About the extra frosting, what I unusually do is blend frostings with a bit of plant milk to thin them out and make popsicles out of it -- that's the easiest. Or keep it as a spread for toast and such.
Enjoy the cake! ♥
Kate says
Love those ideas! Thank you, Audrey. Will totally be doing that next time around. This time around it ended up being eaten out of a bowl before I had a chance ;) lol. Will absolutely let you know when I post a pic. So glad to have found your beautiful site. All the best!
Delphine says
Hi there,
What a great recipe.
Just a question though;l how many persimmons would that be?
Thanks
The Real Person!
Hi Delphine,
Thank you! :)
So 1 ripe banana mashes into about 1/3 of a cup mash (6 bananas = 2 cups mash), so for the cake ingredients you'll need to substitute with 2 cups pureed persimmons. For the frosting it's just 1 cup mash. So 3 cups of pureed persimmons in total. It would be hard to say how many persimmons that is exactly because they come tiny and huge, so you'll need to eye ball that part.
Hope that helps you get closer to making this :)
Andreea says
Hi! Thanks for the quick reply! She has no allergies so far. I am avoiding sugar, but the recipe is ok from this point of view :) I am also trying to avoid gluten, not because we are intolerant or anything but i just think it is safer. I sometimes use whole kamut or spelta flour that i mill myself before using. That’s about everything… About the rice flour – i have whole brown rice – is it ok if i make it into flour with the processor i use for grinding everything else? Thanks for the help! Have a fabulous day! :)
Andreea says
Hi! Great recipe! i would like to make it for my daughter's first birtday. We live in Romania and there's no chance to find the sticky rice flour here. I read above that it can be substituted with rice flour and tapioca starch. Will the cake feel grainy from so much rice flour? And for the frosting, what should i use instead of the sticky rice flour? Thanks so much!
The Real Person!
Hi Andreea,
I'd love to help you find some substitutes for your little one's birthday! :)
Can you let me know if she has any allergies or things you are avoiding at the moment? It would be easier for me to think of alternatives once I know what's out.
andreea says
Hi! Thanks for the quick reply! She has no allergies so far. I am avoiding sugar, but the recipe is ok from this point of view :) I am also trying to avoid gluten, not because we are intolerant or anything but i just think it is safer. I sometimes use whole kamut or spelta flour that i mill myself before using. That's about everything... About the rice flour - i have whole brown rice - is it ok if i make it into flour with the processor i use for grinding everything else? Thanks for the help! Have a fabulous day! :)
Ashleigh says
HI There can you substitute the sticky flour for ground Almond flour. Im having trouble finding the stivky rice flour by where I am.
Thanks
The Real Person!
Hi Ashleigh,
Good question. Trying this recipe with a nut flour has been on my mind, but I haven't had a chance to test it out yet. I have a feeling it will work well and taste great, but the texture will be completely different. The sweet sticky rice flour is what makes this soft and pudding-like, because it's very very fine and also absorbent. I also think the almonds would make the frosting look grainy.
Here's what I would recommend instead:
- Try looking for sweet sticky rice flour a bit more. It often goes by other names -- glutinous rice flour, mochi flour, mochiko flour, etc.
- If you can't find it, use 3/4 cups rice flour + 1/4 cup tapioca starch/arrowroot powder/potato starch. That should get the texture and consistency close enough to the original.
- Try it with the almond flour and let me know how it turns out -- I'm very curious :)
Good luck with it and I hope you find a way to enjoy this cake!
Hannah says
What an amazing recipe, it leaves out all my food triggers. It looks much more like a cake than the GF ones I have made, I will have to try it for my next grand occasion.
The Real Person!
Thanks Hannah! So glad it's a recipe you can enjoy. While it's certainly not your typical cake, it's so delicious in its own right and is very fun and easy to work with. I hope you enjoy it :)
Vanessa @ VeganFamilyRecipes.com says
Hi Audrey, you are seriously the queen of cakes. All of your cakes always look incredible and this one is no exception. Pinning!!
The Real Person!
Thanks so much, Vanessa. Where's the blushing emoji when you need it? :)
Natalia says
Wow, it sounds interesting! I believe it has become the cake of the month on Facebook!
Can't wait to give it a try! Thank you!
The Real Person!
Yes, seems like it sort of took over everything, didn't it? :) I hope you like it.
@veganiliciousvenna.wordpress.com/ says
Wow this looks incredible! Totally love this!! I bet the bananas' moistness within the dough is fantastic!
The Real Person!
Yes, the "cake" part is very moist for sure, thanks to the bananas and dates. And thanks very much -- this cake was really a fun process to make!
Alison @Food by Mars says
Gorgeous! I really am in love with the fact that you topped it with my favorite: dried mulberries?!?
The Real Person!
Yes, dried mulberries are happening on EVERYTHING over here lately :)
Thalia @ butter and brioche says
Now this is one incredible cake! I never have tried anything carob flavoured before and definitely am inspired to now. So healthy too!
The Real Person!
Thanks Thalia. Carob is such an interesting flavor to work with -- it can be almost chocolatey, almost caramely, or almost fruity -- all depends on what you pair it with. I'd love to see what you would do with carob :)
Melissa @ vegan does it says
Oh my, this cake looks AMAZING!! Beautiful site too. This is my first time here, but it won't be my last!
The Real Person!
Hi Melissa, thanks for stopping by and thank you very much for your kind words :)
Kathryn Dilligard says
Wow. That cake looks soo good!
The Real Person!
Thanks so much, Kathryn! <3
Nissrine @ Harmony a la Carte says
Audrey saves the birthday! That should be the title of your next book or feature film. Need to figure out if I can adapt this to a single serving so I can try it. Hubby won't come near bananas so a whole cake would be a bit much for me. Love your creativity.
Maikki // Maikin mokomin says
Love that healthy frosting! Such a pretty cake :)
Joanne (JoMakesStuff) says
So happy to finally have a glimpse (ok, I pored over it) at the recipe for this cake. I'm also happy to see that you used carob, hip hip hurray! It's a great recipe for me! As much as I love chocolate, I can't enjoy it at the moment. I just know my husband, the banana hoarder, will just love this cake. And of course I will too because I love cake and any excuse to eat cake. My lack of a high powered blender will prove challenging however, so I'm still on the fence as to whether I should go ahead and make it despite my current limitation, or wait until I get the machine. Hmmm.
The Real Person!
I think you should make it now and then again after you get that blender ;)
No, but seriously, this should work with a regular blender if you take the time and just keep pausing and scraping down the sides.
Joanne M says
Audrey, I've decided to go ahead and make this cake but I'm having a hard time finding glutinous rice flour. All I have at the moment is regular white rice flour. Where did you find yours?
The Real Person!
I currently buy mine at a local shop. Have you checked Noah's, the Big Carrot, or Bulk Barn? I think Bulk Barn is the last place I've bought it at in Toronto. It comes in bags that look like this.
Asian stores carry it very regularly and it usually only costs a few dollars. Bob's Red Mill sells it too, but I've only ever seen it at grocery stores with a big baking section {like Superstore, etc.}.
Let me know if you're having trouble finding. It's also often called mochi flour.
You can try the recipe with just the white rice flour too. I like using sweet sticky rice flour a lot because it's very finely ground and balances out the grittiness of regular rice flour in recipes {and in breads, cakes, etc. it adds a lot of springiness and bounce + it has a very nice flavor}. If you absolutely can't find it, try 3/4 cup white rice flour and 1/4 cup tapioca starch or arrowroot.
The Real Person!
Actually, I think the substitution suggestion I offered would work for the "cake", but the frosting might taste a little "gritty" perhaps. I say definitely try Bulk Barn first :)
Joanne M says
Thanks for the detailed response! I tried the Big Carrot on Friday (incl. their Bob's Red Mill collection) and no luck. I will swing by Bulk Barn hopefully today. Agreed, regular rice flour has a grittiness to it if I use it alone. My 9 bananas are ready for the cake. Hopefully I am able to find the flour today or I will need to store the bananas in the freezer until I'm ready use them. Thanks again for your help!! :-)
The Real Person!
No worries, Joanne. I also just remembered that I've seen it at Kensington before. There are two little shops on Kensington Ave I'm thinking of, but can't remember the names {one is sort of like an Asian grocery store, the other one is more of a natural supplements place...}. You might want to check there.
Joanne M says
Good news! I found the sweet rice flour at the Bulk Barn. Not even Whole Foods carried it. I'm all set to go now. Let us have cake! Thanks again for all your suggestions!
The Real Person!
Yay! :) That's great!
Anjali @ Vegetarian Gastronomy says
Awesome!! and love the recipe...simple ingredients, and the cake looks amazing! Not to mention you really can eat it for breakfast! =) I'll have to try this sometime soon. Need to buy the flours. =) Great photographs btw...and so awesome you made this for a reader request! I'm sure they will love the cake for their birthday!
The Real Person!
I know, Anjali -- I could eat this cake for breakfast any day and not feel bad ;) It totally fits in with my fruity breakfast theme :)
Nóri | ingeniouscooking.com says
OK, I think this is the most creative cake recipe ever seen! I love it. :) What a challenge, such a creative solution.
So, Audrey, I'm dying to know: what happened last year at you birthday? :)
The Real Person!
Thanks Nóri :)
Last year, my friend wanted to surprise me by making me one of my cakes, so she asked my husband which one was my favorite from the blog. And he told her to make these raspberry almond bars, which are a) not a cake and b) are actually his favorite! :) He's a bit of a trickster, and she wasn't sure which was my actual favorite so she believed him... I didn't mind too much because those almond squares are yummy, but it was pretty funny on the whole. He then claimed that he thought they were my favorite too... ;)
I don't expect people to surprise me or make me cakes {Gosh, I already eat too many as it is all the time! :)}, but if they are going to make something, we now all know they can't ask my husband for advice... ;)
Kat from curlsnchard.com says
Seriously Audrey, this is an incredibly creative cake - I can't even believe that this seriously works with those ingredients! It sounds delicious, I'm sure the recipient for the recipe will be very happy :)
The Real Person!
I wouldn't have believed it either if I hadn't tried it myself :)
Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit says
First of all, YUM!!! Fudgy, pudding, beautiful, toasty carob, omg this is epic! Second of all thank you!!! For all your kind words and for this awesome recipe! I love the layers and the garnish and the name and everything! I never would've imagined those bars could become a cake. I honestly thought you were referring to my Everything-Free Cupcakes when you said that my recipe inspired it, but this is even better because I can only imagine that texture must be incredible! This makes me so, so happy!!! <3
P.S. The persimmon idea is genius!
The Real Person!
You have got to try your fudge with carob next -- it's so good! :) And thank you so much for the amazing inspiration for this cake. I think together we made quite a few people happy ;)
Savanna @ Glutenfreeveganpantry.com says
This looks heavenly! Great work!!
I can't get over how creative this recipe is! I'm in awe of your baking skills - teach me your ways!
The Real Person!
Thanks Savanna :) I thought I was teaching here in this overly long post of mine ;)
The Vegan 8 says
I was right, haha! I knew it was bananas and dates...
The Real Person!
Indeed, Brandi. I just updated the recipe and added a note, since there are quite a few banana haters around, I'm very, very certain this cake would work just as well with ripe persimmons in place of the bananas! Did I get everyone covered now? :)
Emma says
WOW! I am so impressed with your tenacity! This looks awesome and I am going to need a cake pan to try this out. Thanks for your experiments !
The Real Person!
No worries, Emma. I love these kinds of delicious experiments ;)
Terje says
This looks just amazing and I love how you're able to come up with something looking like an actual cake when there's so few things that can be used! You're pretty much a fairy godmother to the kid by now, I bet there aren't too many people who would have accepted this challenge and delivered so beautifully. <3
The Real Person!
Thank Terje :)
I actually really love good challenges like this. It keeps my baking adventures more interesting, pushes me to explore more, and also I don't know why but I don't like the thought of someone being dessert-deprived. Well, I do know why -- it's because I'm a huge sweet tooth :) , but also because I know nature is so incredibly blessed with wonderful ingredients that can be made into a dessert despite any restrictions, so there's really no need to feel deprived or to feel like your child can't have a birthday cake. There's always a way so long as you're willing to think outside the box and get out of your comfort zone :)