Gluten Free Banana Bread Cake w/ Walnuts

This week the kitchen has not been very good to me. A couple things have turned out okay and one meal turned out to be completely inedible...both of which make me quite frustrated for a few reasons. Who wants to spend their evening preparing a meal only to find out that it's disgusting OR mediocre? And who wants to spend their dollars on food only to have it wasted in a failure of a dish? Needless to say, there was much thrashing about in the kitchen this week.

I've been craving banana cake for awhile now, but have been waiting until I had plenty of time to prepare it. The recipe isn't tricky, but bananas and cakes are two of my most favorite things so I was determined that it was going to be made to perfection. Louis worked late last night and since I didn't have to work today (eliminating the race to get to bed before 10), I was able to take my time and enjoy some baking and cooking. I wish every night food making could feel so delightful. Sometimes during the week I just rush through the evenings, determined to get to the couch for a few minutes before it's time to go to bed...which makes cooking and eating not quite as enjoyable.

Anyway, let's get to the good part. 

*Adapted from this recipe.

Here's what you need:

3 cups almond meal/flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup agave nectar + 1 tbsp

1/4 cup grapeseed oil (coconut oil in liquid form would probably be perfect too)

3 eggs beaten

1 tbsp vanilla extract

3 bananas mashed (mine were perfectly yellow not over or under ripe)

1/3 cup chopped walnuts (raw, unsalted)

Here's what you do:

Preheat oven to 350

Mix together the dry ingredients

In a separate bowl, mix together the liquid ingredients - add the banana last

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix

Grease a 9 inch cake pan

Pour batter into pan

Bake for 25 minutes (Do the knife test, if it comes out clean, it's done)

Optional Topping: Put 1 tbsp of earth balance butter and 1/2 tbsp of raw honey into the microwave for 15 seconds, stir and drizzle over a slice right before serving. Measurements don't have to be exact...I eyeballed them...how can you really go wrong with honey and butter?

This is the best cake and the best banana bread type recipe that I've made in a really long time. Banana bread is sometimes tricky to get right - moist but not dense, and same goes with gluten free recipes. It's hard to get the consistency right. This cake has the perfect texture - moist AND fluffy, along with the right amount of sweetness. 

It's so yummy that I suggest only making it when you have enough company to finish it off. Unfortunately, Louis and I (mainly me) have now polished off over half of it. Couple pieces last night, 1/2 of one this morning while Louis ate the above most amazing breakfast, and another just now to confirm the perfection while writing this post. Oopsie. 

Hope you enjoy it!