banana carrot loaf cake

The only thing I've been wanting to bake these days is bread. Bake a loaf of bread and you've got next-day's breakfast set and ready--which is why I love baking bread late at night :) Sadly, the oven is no longer stationed in my room :( so good-bye to falling asleep to the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread...

But that might just be a good thing--so my room won't infest with ants and all.

Anyways, instead of making bread at night like I usually do, I baked this banana carrot loaf in the morning! But that's besides the point. I'm really proud of this loaf of bread! Since I basically just threw a bunch of ingredients into a bowl and then mixed it all together, I'm rather impressed that my banana carrot loaf turned out especially well: moist, dense, spongy, and not too sweet :) Banana-based recipes usually end up with a overpowering flavor of bananas no matter what else you add in to the batter; but surprisingly, the shredded carrots have a natural tangy sweetness stronger than that of the banana, so this banana carrot loaf tastes, in a way, a lot like carrot cake!

Just like the lemon poppy seed "breadcake" I made a few months ago, I was also a bit caught up in trying to name this banana carrot recipe too. Each slice is rather chewy and dense, cake-like but not as sugary. If you top it with frosting you could easily call it carrot-cake and eat it for dessert, or top it with peanut butter and bananas (my go-to) and call it breakfast. I think deeming it a "loaf cake" seems pretty suitable.

Instead of using coconut or almond flour like I would normally, I used brown rice flour this time, and then added in some oats. Brown rice flour is just brown rice kernels ground into a powder. I used my Magic Bullet to ground the kernels, but even after 10 minutes or so of whizzing and pulsing, my resulting flour still contained rice grits. I used it anyway since I don't mind a bit of texture, but if you want superfine brown rice flour I'd suggest going to the supermarket!

The brown rice flour gave the loaf a nuttier flavor, the addition of the oats a chewier texture, and overall this bread is rich with fiber from both grains :)

If I had walnuts at home I would have chopped them up and tossed them into the batter too. I think any carrot-based recipe doesn't taste quite right texture-wise without the crunch of the walnuts. But no matter! I'm extremely pleased with my banana carrot loaf already, with or without the nut :)

Banana Carrot Loaf Cake

yields 1 loaf

Ingredients:

2 ripe bananas 

1 medium carrot, shredded

1/2 cup brown rice flour (I measured out the 1/2 cup after grinding it with my Magic Bullet)*

1/2 cup oats (steel-cut/rolled)

1 tsp baking soda

1 egg

2 tbs honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

4 tbs coconut water (or just plain water)

1 tbs olive oil 

1/4 cup raisins

1 tbs flaxseed (optional)

2 tbs instant oatmeal for garnish (optional) 

* If you ever want to grind your own flour at home (almond, peanut, hazelnut, oat, etc.) be sure to take measurements after grinding into powder. 

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350° F and line a loaf pan with parchment paper or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Be sure to spray all of the insides and corners so your loaf won't stick to the pan during removal!

- In a large bowl, mash the bananas until it becomes a mush, then add in the shredded carrot. Beat in the egg, then add in the honey, olive oil, and coconut water (or just plain water) and whisk until well-incorporated.

- To the wet ingredients, sift in the brown rice flour with the baking soda, then add in the oats. Add in the spices, followed by the tablespoon of flaxseed (optional), and raisins, and mix mix mix until everything is combined!

- Pour the mixture into the prepared loaf pan and top with the instant oatmeal for garnish if desired.

- Bake for 30-35 minutes depending on your oven, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

- Remove and let cool, then cut into slices and enjoy! 

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

OH! SIDE RAMBLING AND OFF TOPIC, BUT did I mention that I might be allergic to PEANUT BUTTER?! ALLERGIC. ME. TO PEANUT BUTTER. :'( About a week ago I noticed two distinct red marks had formed right on my cheekbones and a small rash had developed right below my neck. After a trip to the doctor's later that week he told me it was an allergic reaction, then asked me what I've been eating. I answered "Peanut butter" and he told me to remove it from my diet.

What.

I discovered I was allergic to pet hair back in sixth grade, but who knew that FOOD would be involved now too :( So yeah that's my side rambling. Quite random, but knowing that tomorrow morning I won't be able to dig my butter knife into the peanut butter jar, scoop out the nutty butter, smear it across a slice of my banana carrot loaf and then top it with bananas...I just don't know anymore. My madre thinks it could possibly be because I'm still adjusting to the climate change. Apparently Taiwan's bipolar, sticky, humid weather takes a toll on more than just your skin and mood.

But anyways, I haven't eaten peanut butter in about 4 days now, which is equivalent to a lifetime for me (haha exaggerating, but I love peanut butter...) I'm seriously hoping this just a short term thing...but either way, we'll just see how long I can keep up this forced resistance!