Gluten-free and sugar-free banana bundt cake recipe

This delicious banana cake is both gluten-free and sugar-free too! It doesn't miss out on any flavour though, especially if you use brown bananas as they'll be really ripe and full of sweetness. The non-dairy spread and gluten-free flour makes this cake that little bit healthier. This cake is cooked in a bundt tin, but you can use a standard round cake tin if preferred. If you want to give this cake a shine, drizzle with icing sugar and water.

Ingredients

• 3tsps ground chia seeds (buy them ready ground, or grind whole seeds in a coffee grinder)
• 3tbsps water
• 2 very ripe bananas
• 250g non-dairy spread or coconut oil
• 340g gluten-free plain flour of choice
• 3⅓tsps baking powder
• 1tsp salt
• 225g xylitol
• 1tsp vanilla extract

You will also need:

• 22–23-cm bundt/ring pan (the hole in the middle should be about 10 cm wide) or 23-cm round cake pan, greased

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160˚C/320˚F/Gas mark 3. Put the ground chia seeds in a small bowl with the water. Whisk the seeds into the water with a fork until the mixture starts to feel like the consistency of a beaten egg – in fact, what you have are 3 “chia eggs” that play the same role as eggs in plant-based baking recipes. Place in the fridge.
2. Meanwhile, mash the bananas with a fork and set aside. Put the spread or coconut oil in a saucepan over low heat and leave just until softened.
3. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and xylitol. Add the vanilla extract, chia mixture, and soft spread or coconut oil and stir well. Gently fold in the bananas.
4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 55˚C/131˚F/Gas Mark 1 or the lowest your oven will go. Bake for a further 20 minutes. Cover the cake with foil if it’s looking brown on top but it’s not baked all the way through yet.
5. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving.