A GLUTEN FREE RECIPE FOR THOMAS QUINN’S FAVORITE CAKE - A RICH AND DECADENT BANANA CAKE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     This banana cake is very rich, moist and delicious.  The layers of chocolate chips, nuts and cinnamon sugar add a wonderful taste and texture.  Quite a few years back a coworker was raving about a cake that his wife baked.  He said that they brought it to a party and everyone said that the best thing about going to the party was that cake.  I had to have the recipe.  It is called Thomas Quinn’s Favorite Cake.  It comes from an Arkansas Inn of that name.  This cake is always a big hit.  As usual, I converted the original recipe into a gluten free version.  The GF version is almost exactly the same as the wheat one.

     If you substitute ingredients, for dairy, eggs, etc., I cannot vouch for the outcome.  I’m sure it will taste good, but I’m not sure if the texture and richness will be as decadent.  If you use different flours or a flour blend in place of the flours I use in this recipe the texture of the cake may not be as soft and lightly dense.

     I don’t know if anyone has noticed, but I have been making a lot of banana desserts lately.  I guess we don’t eat the bananas fast enough and seem to have an abundance overripe ones.  Nothing screams 'make me into a dessert' more than overripe bananas.  It is no wonder that there are so many variations on banana bread and cake, everyone must be driven to make desserts by those screaming bananas.

GF THOMAS QUINN’S FAVORITE CAKE

Makes one 9x13 cake.

Ingredients

DRY

2 cups	Sorghum Flour
1/2 cup	Chickpea Flour
1/2 cup	Tapioca Flour
3/4 tsp.	Xanthan Gum
2½ tsp.	Baking Powder
2½ tsp.	Baking Soda
1/8 tsp.	Sea Salt

WET 

2 sticks/1 cup	Unsalted Butter
2 cups	Sugar
1 cup/about 3	Ripe Bananas - mashed
3 large	Eggs
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract
1 pint/2 cups	Sour Cream

TOPPING

1/2 cup	Brown Sugar
1 Tbs.	Cinnamon
1 cup	Chopped Walnuts
6 oz./1 cup	Chocolate Chips

   

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375℉.  Grease a 9x13 cake pan with butter.
2. In a medium bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix together well with a whisk.
3. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter until creamy.
4. Add the eggs, bananas and vanilla and mix in well.

   

   Adding eggs, vanilla and bananas to the creamed butter and sugar. 

   
   

   

   After the eggs and bananas are mixed into the butter mixture.

5. Add the dry ingredients, all at once, and blend thoroughly.

   

   Adding the dry ingredients all at once to the butter and banana mixture

6. Add the sour cream and mix well.

   

   Adding sour cream to the well blended batter.

   
   

   

   Batter after the sour cream is mixed in.

7. Spread half of the batter into the prepared cake pan.

   

   Half of the batter spread into the greased pan.

8. Mix all the topping ingredients together in a small bowl.  Sprinkle half of the topping ingredients evenly over the top of the batter in the pan.

   

   Topping ingredients mixed together.

   
   

   

   Half of the topping sprinkles over the top of half of the batter.

9. Spread the rest of the batter on top of that layer.
10. Sprinkle the rest of the topping mixture evenly over the last layer of batter.

    

    Cake ready to go into the oven.
    Note that there is an inch of space at the top.

11. The cake will rise a lot.  Be sure to leave at least an inch of space at the top of the pan.  (You can bake any excess batter as cupcakes.)  To assure a clean oven, place the baking pan on a large baking sheet to catch any possible overflow.
12. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean or until the cake springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.

    

    Cake all baked.
    Note there was some overflow at the back edge.
    So be sure to place the pan on a large baking sheet while baking.

13. It may be necessary to cover the cake with foil halfway through the baking time to prevent excess browning.  This will depend upon your oven.
14. Cool the cake in the pan and cut into squares to serve.  The cake is very rich so don’t make the pieces too large.

    

    
    

     

GF THOMAS QUINN’S FAVORITE CAKE Makes one 9x13 cake. glutenfreebakingbear.com Ingredients DRY 2 cups Sorghum Flour 1/2 cup Chickpea Flour 1/2 cup Tapioca Flour 3/4 tsp. Xanthan Gum 2½ tsp. Baking Powder 2½ tsp. Baking Soda 1/8 tsp. Sea Salt WET 2 sticks/1 cup Unsalted Butter 2 cups Sugar 1 cup/about 3 Ripe Bananas - mashed 3 large Eggs 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract 1 pint/2 cups Sour Cream TOPPING 1/2 cup Brown Sugar 1 Tbs. Cinnamon 1 cup Chopped Walnuts 6 oz./1 cup Chocolate Chips Directions Preheat the oven to 375℉. Grease a 9x13 cake pan with butter. In a medium bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix together well with a whisk. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs, bananas and vanilla and mix in well. Add the dry ingredients, all at once, and blend thoroughly. Add the sour cream and mix well. Spread half of the batter into the prepared cake pan. Mix all of the topping ingredients together. Sprinkle half of the topping ingredients evenly over the top of the batter in the pan. Spread the rest of the batter on top of that layer. Sprinkle the rest of the topping mixture evenly over the last layer of batter. The cake will rise a lot. Be sure to leave at least an inch of space at the top of the pan. (You can bake any excess batter as cupcakes.) To assure a clean oven, place the baking pan on a large baking sheet to catch any possible overflow. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean or until the cake springs back when pressed lightly with a finger. It may be necessary to cover the cake with foil halfway through the baking time to prevent excess browning. This will depend upon your oven. Cool the cake in the pan and cut into squares to serve. The cake is very rich so don’t make the pieces too large.