GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD with DAIRY FREE INSTRUCTIONS

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     It was time to use up some very ripe bananas.  I tried a new recipe for Chocolate Banana Bread that I found on line.  I converted the recipe into a gluten free version.  It is moist and chocolatey with a delicate banana flavor. This cake was too yummy and resistance was futile.  It was rapidly gobbled up by appreciative friends and family. 

     As I mentioned in my last post, it is very hot and humid here right now and I do not intend to turn on the oven, so I have been baking on top of the stove with great success.  As with most quick breads, it was quick and easy to make.  The original recipe uses a 9x5 bread pan.  This pan will not fit in my stove top baking pot.  I had to use three small, cupcake sized cake pans as well as the 6” tube pan for this recipe.  If you bake it in an oven just use one 9x5 bread pan.

     I made the recipe dairy free so that a friend could also eat it.  I did not yet try an egg free or vegan version.  I replaced the ½ cup butter with ¼ cup of applesauce and ¼ cup of oil.  I find that replacing the butter or margarine in a recipe with oil makes most cakes moister and cutting down on some of the fat by replacing half of the oil with applesauce does not alter the outcome of the cake.  I have replaced all of the oil with applesauce in my banana bread recipe with good results.  I think that this complete replacement of oil with applesauce might not work as successfully in other types of cake recipes.

     I chose to add chocolate chips, making it a double chocolate cake.  If you drizzle the top with a chocolate glaze (totally unnecessary, but decadent in a good way) you could have a triple chocolate cake. Yum.  Enjoy!

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD

Makes one 9x5 loaf or one 6” tube pan + 3 cup cake sized cakes

INGREDIENTS

Dry

1/2 cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
2 Tbs.	Chickpea Flour
2 Tbs.	Coconut Flour
1/2 tsp.	Xanthan gum
¼ tsp.	Sea Salt
1 tsp.	Baking Soda
1/2 tsp.	Cinnamon
1/2 cup	Cocoa Powder (sifted to get rid of lumps)
¾ cup	Brown Sugar (sifted to get rid of lumps)

Wet

3 large	Ripe Bananas - mashed
½ cup	Unsalted Butter - melted OR For Dairy Free use a light tasting oil such as canola OR I used ¼ cup oil + ¼ cup applesauce (to cut down on the fat)
1 large	Egg
1 tsp.	Vanilla Extract

  

Optional

½ cup	Chocolate Chips (or use 1 cup of chips and omit nuts)
½ cup	Chopped Nuts (Pecans or Walnuts)

DIRECTIONS

1)    Prepare the pans by lining them with foil and greasing them well with butter, margarine or oil.  Or line the loaf pan with parchment paper.

Tube Pan lined with foil and then oiled.

Small, cupcake sized pans for left over batter.

2)    If baking in an oven, preheat the oven to 350℉.  If baking on top of the stove, place a metal rack or steamer on the bottom of a large cast iron pot or dutch oven.  Cover the pot and preheat it DRY at medium heat (#5 on my electric stove).

3)    In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix together well with a whisk.

4)    Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well with a large wooden spoon.

Wet ingredients added to the dry ones.

5)    If using, add the nuts and/or chips and stir in.

Batter all mixed.

6)    If using a 9x5 loaf pan, add all of the batter.  If using a 6” tube pan for stove top baking, fill the pan ¾ full and divide the rest of the batter into small, cupcake sized pans filling them ¾ full.

7)    Place the pan into the stove top pot and cover it. After ten minutes turn down the heat to low (#2 on my electric stove) In my stovetop oven I cooked the tube pan cake for 1 hour total and the smaller ones for about 30 minutes.  The tube pan and smaller cakes were ‘baked’ at separate batches (they would not all fit into the same pan at the same time).  If using an oven bake the loaf or tube pan for 55-65 minutes.

The cake starting to bake and rise in the stove top 'oven'.

Small cakes baking in the stovetop 'oven'.

GF Chocolate Banana Bread completely risen.

8)    The cake is done when a cake tester comes out clean (except for melted chips and random banana chunks) or when the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.

Cake cooling on a rack.

Large and small cakes cooling on a rack.

GLUTEN FREE CHOCOLATE BANANA BREAD Makes one 9x5 loaf or one 6” tube pan + 3 cup cake sized cakes INGREDIENTS Dry 1/2 cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour 2 Tbs. Chickpea Flour 2 Tbs. Coconut Flour 1/2 tsp. Xanthan gum ¼ tsp. Sea Salt 1 tsp. Baking Soda 1/2 tsp. Cinnamon 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder (sifted to get rid of lumps) ¾ cup Brown Sugar (sifted to get rid of lumps) Wet 3 large Ripe Bananas - mashed ½ cup Unsalted Butter - melted OR For Dairy Free use a light tasting oil such as canola OR I used ¼ cup oil + ¼ cup applesauce (to cut down on the fat) 1 large Egg 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract Optional ½ cup Chocolate Chips (or use 1 cup of chips and omit nuts) ½ cup Chopped Nuts (Pecans or Walnuts) DIRECTIONS 1) Prepare the pans by lining them with foil and greasing them well with butter, margarine or oil. Or line the loaf pan with parchment paper. 2) If baking in an oven, preheat the oven to 350℉. If baking on top of the stove, place a metal rack or steamer on the bottom of a large cast iron pot or dutch oven. Cover the pot and preheat it DRY at medium heat (#5 on my electric stove). 3) In a large bowl add all the dry ingredients and mix together well with a whisk. 4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones and mix well with a large wooden spoon. 5) If using, add the nuts and/or chips and stir in. 6) If using a 9x5 loaf pan, add all of the batter. If using a 6” tube pan for stove top baking, fill the pan ¾ full and divide the rest of the batter into small, cupcake sized pans filling them ¾ full. 7) Place the pan into the stove top pot and cover it. After ten minutes turn down the heat to low (#2 on my electric stove) In my stovetop oven I cooked the tube pan cake for 1 hour total and the smaller ones for about 30 minutes. The tube pan and smaller cakes were ‘baked’ at separate batches (they would not all fit into the same pan at the same time). If using an oven bake the loaf or tube pan for 55-65 minutes. 8) The cake is done when a cake tester comes out clean (except for melted chips and random banana chunks) or when the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE ZUCCHINI BREAD BAKED ON TOP OF THE STOVE

Posted by Bryna Bear aka Gluten Free Baking Bear

     Here in New Jersey it is HOT & humid.  I wanted to try baking a cake on top of the stove instead of turning on the oven and heating up the whole house.  I am happy to announce that I was able to bake a few things on top of the stove with varied levels of success.  The Zucchini Bread came out wonderfully.  It even browned!   The cake texture was perfect and it was moist inside.  I used a traditional Zucchini Bread recipe from food.com.  I converted it into a gluten free version and I also cut the recipe in half since I had to use a small pan to bake it.  I love the taste of this bread.  It is not too sweet and the amount of cinnamon is just right for me.

     I also tried to make stove top biscuits using a frying pan method.  They did not have the correct texture, so next time I will try to bake some using the same method as with the Zucchini Bread.  I also baked my Zucchini Quiche recipe with the same method as the Zucchini Bread.  The quiche had a great texture, but stuck to the pan and I had to scrape it out with a rubber spatula losing any brown edges.  Lesson learned, I lined the pan with foil to make the Zucchini Bread.  This worked perfectly.

     To bake on the stove top I used a round large cast iron pot (10-inches in diameter & 4½-inches deep).  I placed a metal vegetable steamer on the bottom and used a clear glass cover so that I could see what was going on inside. I used a small tube pan (6½-inch)  to hold the batter.  The heat can get all around the tube pan to bake the cake in the center and also it was the only pan I had that would fit in the pot.  If I had a bigger cast iron pot I would have used a bigger pan. 

     I had looked up recipes and “how to” directions for stove top baking.  I found an ad for a special pot that they use on boats to bake.  It cost about $60 and you have to do all the baking in the tube pan that comes with it.  It said that the only problem was that the breads or cakes do not brown.  I was delightfully surprised when the sides and top of the Zucchini Bread did get browned. 

     I also found a recipe for a cake that was baked in a pan using an aluminum pot with a rack on the bottom.  I decided to use a cast iron pot since they can be heated dry for long periods of time without damaging or breaking  them.  I have had some thick metal pans warp when used dry on high heat on the barbecue, so I did not want to use and possibly ruin any of my good stainless pots.  I used the veggie steamer because it would allow the heat to circulate and it fit in the pan. 

     I have an electric stovetop.  I used a medium setting (on my stove it says medium and is a #5) to heat the pot and steamer for about 10 minutes before putting the cake in to bake.  Then after baking at this heat for 10 minutes I turned down the heat to low (#2 on my stove) and baked it another 40 minutes.  After the first 40 minutes of baking I pressed the top of the cake to check for doneness and it needed at least ten minutes more.  I checked it at the total of 1 hour of baking and felt it could use another 5 minutes, but I forgot to turn on the timer after setting it and it baked about 20 minutes longer instead of 5 minutes longer.  It got a bit browner than I would have preferred, I think that if I had stopped the baking after the extra 5 minutes it would have been the perfect golden brown.  Still tasted great and did not burn. 

     I think that every stove heats a bit differently so you will have to experiment with the heat settings and timing.  Preheating the cast iron pot, 10 minutes on medium heat and then reducing the heat to low (#2 setting) worked on my stove for a 350℉ baking setting.  The directions for a gas stove on the website were to preheat the pan on medium low and then turn the heat down to the lowest setting as soon as you put the pan with the batter in the pot.

     I am so happy that I can bake without turning on the oven!  I will keep posting stove top recipes as I experiment. 

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE ZUCCHINI BREAD

Makes one 8½” x4½” loaf or one 6½ “ tube pan cake

INGREDIENTS

¾ cup	Sorghum Flour
¼ cup	Tapioca Flour
¼ cup	Chickpea Flour
¼ cup	Coconut Flour
½ tsp	Xanthan Gum
½ tsp	Sea Salt
1 tsp	Baking Soda
¼ tsp	Baking Powder
¾ tsp	Cinnamon
1 cup	Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals)
2 large	Eggs
¼ cup	Oil - light tasting like canola
¼ cup	Applesauce (or another ¼ cup of oil)
1½ tsp	Vanilla
1 cup	Grated Zucchini
¼ cup	Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional)
½ tsp	Tapioca Flour - to coat the nuts in (omit if not adding nuts)

DIRECTIONS

1)    Line the tube pan with foil and grease well.  If using a loaf pan you can line it with foil or parchment paper.  Make sure that any pan you use in stovetop baking will fit into the pot with room around it for the air to circulate and enough space over the top for the cake to rise when the pot is covered. 

Tube pan lined with strips of foil and then well greased.

2)   If baking on top of the stove:  Take a large cast iron pot (at least 10” in diameter) and put a rack or a metal vegetable steamer inside on the bottom.  Heat the DRY pan, covered, on medium heat for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the batter. If baking the recipe in the oven preheat the oven to 350℉.

3)    Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, xanthan gum and cinnamon to a large bowl and whisk together until well combined.

4)    Add the oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Wet ingredients added to the bowl with the dry ones.

5)    Add the zucchini and stir in.

Grated zucchini added to the batter.

6)    If using nuts, mix the ½ tsp of tapioca flour with the nuts and then add to the batter.  Stir in.  

Batter all mixed with the nuts and zucchini added.

7)   Spoon all the batter into the prepared pan and place the pan on top of the steamer in the preheated pot.  Cover.  Cook for 10 minutes at medium heat (on my electric stove it is #5) then lower the heat to low (#2 on my electric stove).  Cook for a total of 1 hour or until the top is done and springs back when pressed with a finger.  Or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.  If baking in an oven bake for 1 hour or until the center springs back when pressed with a finger or a wooden toothpick comes out clean.

Raw batter in the prepared pan.

Tube pan in  the pot after about 10 minutes of stovetop "baking".
The tube pan is resting on a metal steamer which is on the bottom of a cast iron pot.
The pot is kept covered the entire time it "bakes".

The batter keeps rising as it bakes.

This is as high as the batter rose.
It fell a bit after cooling down.

8)    Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then invert the cake out of the pan onto the rack to cool completely.  Peel the foil off the cake while still very warm or it will stick and peel off some of the outside of the cake.

Cake cooling on a rack after it has finished baking.

Cake turned out onto the rack.

Zucchini Bread after the foil was taken off.
Take the foil off while the cake is still quite hot so that
 it will not stick and peel off some of the outside of the cake.

Zucchini Bread with some slices taken out.
Absolutely delicious!

GLUTEN FREE DAIRY FREE ZUCCHINI BREAD Makes one 8½” x4½” loaf or one 6½ “ tube pan cake INGREDIENTS ¾ cup Sorghum Flour ¼ cup Tapioca Flour ¼ cup Chickpea Flour ¼ cup Coconut Flour ½ tsp Xanthan Gum ½ tsp Sea Salt 1 tsp Baking Soda ¼ tsp Baking Powder ¾ tsp Cinnamon 1 cup Sugar (I used evaporated cane juice crystals) 2 large Eggs ¼ cup Oil - light tasting like canola ¼ cup Applesauce (or another ¼ cup of oil) 1½ tsp Vanilla 1 cup Grated Zucchini ¼ cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans (optional) ½ tsp Tapioca Flour - to coat the nuts in (omit if not adding nuts) DIRECTIONS 1) Line the tube pan with foil and grease well. If using a loaf pan you can line it with foil or parchment paper. Make sure that any pan you use in stovetop baking will fit into the pot with room around it for the air to circulate and enough space over the top for the cake to rise when the pot is covered. 2) If baking on top of the stove: Take a large cast iron pot (at least 10” in diameter) and put a rack or a metal vegetable steamer inside on the bottom. Heat the DRY pan, covered, on medium heat for at least 10 minutes while you prepare the batter. If baking in the oven preheat the oven to 350℉. 3) Add the flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt, xanthan gum and cinnamon to a large bowl and whisk together until well combined. 4) Add the oil, applesauce, eggs and vanilla and mix until smooth. 5) Add the zucchini and stir in. 6) If using nuts, mix the ½ tsp of tapioca flour with the nuts and then add to the batter. Stir in. 7) Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and place the pan on top of the steamer in the preheated pot. Cover. Cook for 10 minutes at medium heat (on my electric stove it is #5) then lower the heat to low (#2 on my electric stove). Cook for a total of 1 hour or until the top is done and springs back when pressed with a finger. Or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean. If baking in an oven, bake for 1 hour or until the center springs back when pressed with a finger or a wooden toothpick comes out clean. 8) Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then invert the cake out of the pan onto the rack to cool completely. Peel the foil off the cake while still very warm or it will stick and peel off some of the outside of the cake.