Cake of the Day: Banana Blueberry Cake from ‘Chloe’s Vegan Desserts’
They taste good, they look good, and they’re made by good people — talented bakers from around the world. Today, award-winning vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli shares a light and fluffy dessert from her cookbook Chloe’s Vegan Desserts.
Chloe Coscarelli’s vegan banana blueberry cake with lemon frosting. (Photo: Teri Lyn Fisher)
Banana Blueberry Cake with Lemon Buttercream
Makes two 9-inch round layers. Double the recipe for four layers.
Moist banana cake dotted with juicy blueberries and filled with sweet lemon buttercream—berries ’n’ cream bliss! This light and refreshing flavor combination is always a hit at my dinner parties.
Make-Ahead Tip:
Cake layers can be made in advance and frozen, unfrosted, for up to 1 month. Frosting can be made the day before and stored at room temperature. Thaw cakes and frost before serving.
Cake
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1⁄2 teaspoon ground cloves
1⁄2 teaspoon ground ginger
Buttercream
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 or 3 very ripe bananas mashed on a plate using the back of a fork)
1 cup canned coconut milk, mixed well before measuring
1⁄2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon white or apple-cider vinegar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
11⁄2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries,
plus extra for garnish
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 to 5 tablespoons lemon juice
To make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.In a large bowl, whisk together our, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger.
In a separate bowl, whisk together bananas, coconut milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until just combined. Do not overmix. Gently fold in 1½ cups blueberries.
Fill each prepared cake pan evenly with batter. Bake for 32 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry with a few crumbs clinging to it. Rotate the cakes halfway through baking time. Let the cakes cool completely before assembly.
To make the buttercream: Using a stand or hand mixer, beat shortening until smooth. With the mixer running on low, add powdered sugar, lemon zest, and 1 tablespoon lemon juice at a time, as needed, until frosting reaches a spreadable consistency. Increase the speed to high and beat for 2 more minutes until light and fluffy.
To assemble the cake: Once the cakes are completely cooled, run a knife around the inside edge of each cake pan to loosen, and gently unmold the cake. Peel off the parchment paper and slice the dome o the top of each cake for even assembly, if desired. Place one cake on a serving plate or cardboard cake circle. Spread a generous layer of frosting on top of the cake. Place the second cake on top of the first and spread a generous layer of frosting on
top. Garnish with fresh blueberries, if desired, and serve.
Reprinted with permission from Chloe’s Vegan Desserts by Chloe Coscarelli (Atria Books).
More vegan cakes:
