Yes, you heard me correctly. That's the name I gave it. See, I wanted a banana cream pie but I wasn't in the mood to roll dough. Pies are very sensitive, delicate, little creatures. Pie dough is an empath. It can sense when you're not in the mood and self destruct on you. Cake, however, is more carefree. It's not mood sensitive.
So after much thought, I came up with a recipe that incorporates the creaminess of the pie filling but without relying on pie dough. Just for the record, this is NOT a low fat recipe. This is the kind of cake you eat and moan. This, my friends, is a dessert for banana lovers. It's the kind of cake that will have you rolling (literally.. after eating this cake I will be jiggling and rolling in places I don't want to be) back for more.
This is the kind of cake that will change your life.
Party on...
So after much thought, I came up with a recipe that incorporates the creaminess of the pie filling but without relying on pie dough. Just for the record, this is NOT a low fat recipe. This is the kind of cake you eat and moan. This, my friends, is a dessert for banana lovers. It's the kind of cake that will have you rolling (literally.. after eating this cake I will be jiggling and rolling in places I don't want to be) back for more.
This is the kind of cake that will change your life.
Party on...
Cast of characters: sugar, flour, graham cracker crumbs, bananas, dairy free heavy cream, soy milk, banana pudding mix and a bunch of other things. Look at the picture above. It may seem like too much, but it is soooo worth it.
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Put the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set them aside.
Place your sugar and margarine together in the mixer bowl. Beat until they are light and fluffy, and look like this...
You may need to scrap the bowl once.
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Add the wet ingredients including the soy milk mixture that I forgot to take a picture of because I'm slowly becoming senile. Mix until they are all combined.
Dump in the dry ingredients and stir until it looks like so...
Try not to eat that. It looks almost like butterscotch batter doesn't it?
Place it in your pans, spreading it gently. By the way, this recipe makes two casserole dishes, 2.5 quart size each. Give the other one away if you want to keep your waist from having its own postal code. Or you can freeze it but you'll still know it's there and it'll be calling your name in the middle of the night like a siren luring a sailor and you're going to fall face first into the tray and after ten minutes have passed you will realize that you ate the whole thing.
BY. YOUR. SELF.
The entire thing.
So, it's your choice. I'm just sayin', I've been there and it's not pretty. Sleepwalking... er... sleepeating, it can hurt.
Anyway, bake it for 25 minutes or so and when it's done, set it aside to cool.
Meanwhile, start making the filling, because let me tell you...
That is the best part. EVER.
Take your mashed banana and obliterate it to smithereens with a hand blender. Speaking of hand blenders, you really want to invest in a good one. Really. I mean it. From experience here folks, the cheap crap doesn't cut it, literally. Invest in a mid to high end model and it will serve you faithfully for a long time. Cuisinart, Kitchenaid and Braun make some good ones that are readily available in most department stores. Stay away from store brands unless you want to curse and groan every time you need to blend something. That was my state for a very long time before I met Cuisinart.
BY. YOUR. SELF.
The entire thing.
So, it's your choice. I'm just sayin', I've been there and it's not pretty. Sleepwalking... er... sleepeating, it can hurt.
Anyway, bake it for 25 minutes or so and when it's done, set it aside to cool.
Meanwhile, start making the filling, because let me tell you...
That is the best part. EVER.
Take your mashed banana and obliterate it to smithereens with a hand blender. Speaking of hand blenders, you really want to invest in a good one. Really. I mean it. From experience here folks, the cheap crap doesn't cut it, literally. Invest in a mid to high end model and it will serve you faithfully for a long time. Cuisinart, Kitchenaid and Braun make some good ones that are readily available in most department stores. Stay away from store brands unless you want to curse and groan every time you need to blend something. That was my state for a very long time before I met Cuisinart.
Anyway, puree the banana and dump it in a heavy bottom sauce pan.
Add this gorgeous stuff right here. This is the Kraft Jell-O brand, which is dairy, egg and nut free.
Now, see the label on the side that says Cook & Serve? That is what you want for this cake. DO NOT buy the instant pudding mix. It will not work. If you've been living in the dairy free world for a while you know that non dairy milks are not very cooperative with instant pudding and need a bit of tweaking. Sometimes, it is best to use the cook & serve variety, because nothing says no to boiling cornstarch. It will thicken anything, dairy or non dairy. So just make sure you grab the right one, because sometimes they all look alike and are stacked right next to each other on the shelf. Inventory clerks at the grocery store run your life. Deal with it and move on.
Can't find the Kraft version? Don't worry, we have options. Dr. Oetker makes the Shirriff Banana Cream filling which is also dairy, egg and nut free.
Still, read the label. Every time. You have to make sure - the safety of your family depends on it.
Besides, I've been known to be wrong once or twice.
Just don't tell my husband that. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.
Moving on...
Add the soy milk and heavy cream and stir with a whisk. Place on medium heat and keep stirring to prevent it from burning.
Now, see the label on the side that says Cook & Serve? That is what you want for this cake. DO NOT buy the instant pudding mix. It will not work. If you've been living in the dairy free world for a while you know that non dairy milks are not very cooperative with instant pudding and need a bit of tweaking. Sometimes, it is best to use the cook & serve variety, because nothing says no to boiling cornstarch. It will thicken anything, dairy or non dairy. So just make sure you grab the right one, because sometimes they all look alike and are stacked right next to each other on the shelf. Inventory clerks at the grocery store run your life. Deal with it and move on.
Can't find the Kraft version? Don't worry, we have options. Dr. Oetker makes the Shirriff Banana Cream filling which is also dairy, egg and nut free.
Still, read the label. Every time. You have to make sure - the safety of your family depends on it.
Besides, I've been known to be wrong once or twice.
Just don't tell my husband that. What he doesn't know won't hurt him.
Moving on...
Add the soy milk and heavy cream and stir with a whisk. Place on medium heat and keep stirring to prevent it from burning.
Keep stirring until it boils. I know your arm is getting tired and your wrist feels like it's going to fall off. Consider it your daily input of exercise.
When it comes to a rapid boil, remove it from the heat. It should be thick and coat the back of the spoon nicely.
When it comes to a rapid boil, remove it from the heat. It should be thick and coat the back of the spoon nicely.
Now, set it aside and start arranging your sliced banana on top of the now cooled cake. The cake does not need to be completely cooled. It just needs to be slightly warm or room temperature. But as long as it's not piping hot, everything will be fine.
Pour the filling over the sliced banana and spread to cover all the edges. Feel free to taste the filling at this point. YUMM!
Let the cake cool to room temperature at this point or it's quicker to place it in the fridge or freezer. Start your topping when you are ready to serve the cake.
Combine heavy cream and sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form.
Spread a very thin layer on the cake just enough to cover the top. The rest of the topping we'll use to decorate.
Spread a very thin layer on the cake just enough to cover the top. The rest of the topping we'll use to decorate.
You can do what I did, if you want to fool others into thinking you're some sort of home cook extraordinaire, and pipe the filling on top in decorative swirls. Or you can be more down to earth and just swirl it around with a spoon.
Try not to be like me. I'm dysfunctional.
According to my husband, on an average day, I'm a total cold heartless vampire who happens to be an awesome cook & baker.
On a good day, if the stars are in alignment and the weather is right I might be nice.
Let's not even talk about a bad day. That might require a dedicated post.
OK, back to piping...
That's what my swirls looked like after fighting a long and hard battle with the piping nozzle. It was a prolonged war; there were casualties. But I was victorious in the end.
Garnish with the remaining sliced banana and just sprinkle a bit of brown sugar on top or anything else you desire. Cake sprinkles would be nice, and also chocolate sprinkles or shavings. You can even use walnuts if you are not allergic.
And here is the close up...
Isn't that a beauty?
Dig in and enjoy!
And don't forget to share, or freeze it. Just make sure to put a padlock on the freezer. Sleepeating is not good for your waist (or thighs).
Dig in and enjoy!
And don't forget to share, or freeze it. Just make sure to put a padlock on the freezer. Sleepeating is not good for your waist (or thighs).
Banana Cream Pie Cake (Dairy, Egg & Nut Free)
Serves 18
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tbsp dairy free margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
1 banana, thinly sliced
1 banana, mashed
1 box Cook & Serve Banana Pudding (dairy/egg/nut free)
2 cups soy milk
1 cup Nutriwhip (dairy free whipping cream)
Topping
1 cup Nutriwhip (dairy free whipping cream)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 banana, sliced
2 Tbsp brown sugar firmly packed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 2.5 quart casserole dishes with dairy free cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Combine soy milk and vinegar in a glass cup and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine margarine and sugars. Beat until fluffy. Add applesauce, mashed banana and vanilla. Mix to combine. Add soy milk mixture and beat until incorporated. Add dry ingredients mixing until it just comes together. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.
To make the filling, arrange sliced banana on top of cakes and set aside. In a medium size sauce pot, combine mashed banana, pudding, soy milk and nutriwhip. Place on medium high heat stirring constantly until it thickens. Immediately pour over cake. Smooth out the surface and place in fridge to cool.
When ready to serve, make the topping by beating the nutriwhip and granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over entire cake or put in piping bag and pipe swirls all over cake. Garnish with sliced banana, a sprinkle of brown sugar and a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top of each slice. Chill and serve. Store leftovers (if there are any) in the fridge.
Nutritional Info for original recipe (Per slice)
Calories 254.69, Total Fat 8.98g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 193.91mg, Potassium 155.94mg, Total Carbohydrates 41.62g, Fiber 1.07g, Sugar 31.36g, Protein 1.84g
Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
Serves 18
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 Tablespoon vinegar
2 Tbsp dairy free margarine, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar firmly packed
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling
1 banana, thinly sliced
1 banana, mashed
1 box Cook & Serve Banana Pudding (dairy/egg/nut free)
2 cups soy milk
1 cup Nutriwhip (dairy free whipping cream)
Topping
1 cup Nutriwhip (dairy free whipping cream)
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 banana, sliced
2 Tbsp brown sugar firmly packed
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 2.5 quart casserole dishes with dairy free cooking spray. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Combine soy milk and vinegar in a glass cup and set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine margarine and sugars. Beat until fluffy. Add applesauce, mashed banana and vanilla. Mix to combine. Add soy milk mixture and beat until incorporated. Add dry ingredients mixing until it just comes together. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool to room temperature.
To make the filling, arrange sliced banana on top of cakes and set aside. In a medium size sauce pot, combine mashed banana, pudding, soy milk and nutriwhip. Place on medium high heat stirring constantly until it thickens. Immediately pour over cake. Smooth out the surface and place in fridge to cool.
When ready to serve, make the topping by beating the nutriwhip and granulated sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread over entire cake or put in piping bag and pipe swirls all over cake. Garnish with sliced banana, a sprinkle of brown sugar and a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top of each slice. Chill and serve. Store leftovers (if there are any) in the fridge.
Nutritional Info for original recipe (Per slice)
Calories 254.69, Total Fat 8.98g, Cholesterol 0mg, Sodium 193.91mg, Potassium 155.94mg, Total Carbohydrates 41.62g, Fiber 1.07g, Sugar 31.36g, Protein 1.84g
Nutrition analysis is approximate and will vary depending on exact ingredients used. Calculations are based on the Reference Daily Intake (RDI) for a 2000 calorie diet. Nutritional Facts are obtained from Radium Technologies' Living Cookbook. However, Allergymom.ca has no affiliation with Radium Technologies and does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.
