Paleo Banana Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

It has come to my attention recently that I am not at the weight or physique I want to be at and I think it's because my diet primarily consists of sugar, sugar, and more sugar. Thus, I am really starting to crack down on what I eat, as well as starting to put in work at the gym. Mostly cracking down on what I eat though because I am way better at baking than I am at working out.


I made this paleo banana cake a few months ago for my friend who is better at both eating clean and working out than I am, but a last minute plan change led to her not even getting to taste it. So I did what any good friend would do and tasted it for her. Once, then twice, then four more times. And I got the same results every time. A moist, tender, flavorful cake that you wouldn't believe had absolutely no sugar.


So, where does the sweetness in the cake come from? It comes from the four ripened bananas and the two tablespoons of raw honey. And the icing--sweetened entirely by medjool dates. How fab is that?


Me and my family mutually agree- if this is what paleo has to offer, sign us up!

Paleo Banana Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream

Yield: One double-layer 6 inch cake

Ingredients:

4 ripe bananas, mashed
4 large eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup melted coconut oil
2 tablespoons raw honey
1 and 3/4 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of vanilla powder (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

For the coconut whipped cream:
Two 13.5oz cans full-fat coconut milk
4 medjool dates, pitted
pinch of vanilla power (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

Toasted coconut flakes, for garnish

Directions:

Refrigerate both cans of coconut milk overnight the day before making the cake. 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6-inch pans with coconut oil or non-stick cooking spray.

In a medium-sized bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat together bananas, eggs, coconut oil, and honey until well-combined. Add almond flour, flaxseeds, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and vanilla, and beat until well-incorporated.

Divide batter between pans, using about two cups of batter in each pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let cool in pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

When cakes are completely cooled, prepare the whipped cream. Soak the medjool dates in boiling water for about 20 minutes. Then, drain, squeeze out the excess water and process in a chopper or food processor until dates are shredded into tiny pieces.

Remove the chilled cans of coconut milk from the fridge and flip them upside down. Open the cans and pour out all the liquid in them. You should have thick coconut cream left over. Spoon this into a bowl. Using an electric hand mixer, beat the cream on medium speed for 2-4 minutes, or until soft peaks form. Add medjool dates and vanilla, and beat for an additional minute until incorporated.

Decorate cake as desired. I chose to go with the naked cake look, but you will have enough whipped cream to cover the entire cake.

Slightly adapted from DrMichelleRonan