I had a huge bunch of very ripe bananas that needed to be used + 1 had some cream cheese. I didn't want to make just a loaf of banana bread. I saw a recipe online for an apple bundt cake that had a layer of cream cheese in the center. Hmmmm.....my brain went into overdrive designing a gluten free banana bundt cake that has a cream cheese layer in the center. Bundt cakes are always moist. They're relatively easy and no fancy decorating required! They also freeze well and last a long time in the refrigerator (not that they last long at our house!). I had thought about doing a banana roll (similar to a pumpkin roll) but cake rolling intimidates me. I always do it wrong and get frustrated! I took my grandma Goldie's old banana cake recipe and tweaked it a little to be baked in a bundt pan + made it gluten free.
Yes, I relax on the weekend in between movie marathons, swimming and whatever other plans we have....baking. Mainly because I can't sit still for long! (I just wish the kitchen cleaning fairy was close by!) I don't think I am normal. (No comments on that please!) I enjoy looking at recipes and figuring out how I can change it up to use what I have in my kitchen + tweak it to make it gluten free. I consider it a hobby. Am I crazy or what?! (Please, please don't answer that!) So basically....I saw a recipe for a regular apple bundt cake with cream cheese filling & ended up with a banana bundt cake with cream cheese filling....gluten free! Yeah...that's how it works at my house! (If you don't have a bundt pan you can cut the recipe in half and bake in a 9x5 loaf pan but you will need to adjust cooking time since it won't need to bake quite as long).
I know a lot of the recipes and gluten free flour blends brag that you can turn a regular recipe into gluten free and you can't tell the difference. It is "sort of" true. I convert my regular recipes into gluten free ones all the time but I always have to adjust them slightly to get the EXACT texture and flavor of the original recipe. The gluten free flour blends have a tendency to be a little more powdery in texture which can result in crumbly results. A few tips if you want to convert a favorite recipe: add at least 1 extra egg, consider adding a teaspoon of vinegar to the batter, I add slightly more baking powder or baking soda to the recipe and consider a gluten flour blend with assorted gluten free flours. I also like to add coconut flour for a small portion of the recipe if possible. I don't add it to a recipe if the flavor will be noticeable because I don't want to change the flavor of the recipe. Coconut flour has a silky texture similar to regular wheat flour so if you mix it into your gluten free flour blend, the results are very nice! However, I never use only coconut flour because the flavor is different than regular flour and slightly sweeter. Another option is adding ground almonds which will give you moisture and stability to cakes but I only do this if I know my guests don't have nut allergies. A lot of gluten free recipes increase the sugar and fat content which I try to avoid. Again, I don't want to alter the flavor or texture of my dessert recipe. I don't want a soggy, greasy cake. I like to mix my own flour blend but sometimes I just don't have the time or if I am traveling then it isn't convenient. Some of the brands that I have had good luck with are: King Arthur, Pillsbury, Betty Crocker, Cup4Cup and Trader Joe's. Some of the other brands contain a lot of sorghum flour which I do NOT like in my sweets or they are so powdery that my results are crumbly. Also always check to see if your gluten free flour blend contains either xanthan gum or guar gum. If not, you will need to add about 1/2 teaspoon to your baked goods to give it the elasticity that wheat flour contains. If it is really important that your cake or baked goods turn out fantastic and you are unsure about your flour blend...I highly recommend adding 3-4 oz of cream cheese (or non-dairy version cream cheese) to your batter for best results. (Good luck and feel free to post any tips or suggestions you have in comments below!)
Banana Cream Cheese Stuffed Bunt Cake Recipe:
- 5-6 ripe bananas (bananas should have dark spots on peels but shouldn't be real mushy)
- 4 large eggs
- 1 1/4 cups sugar (I used unbleached, non GMO but you can use white sugar)
- 2 cups gluten free flour blend (I like to use the type without sorghum because it leaves a weird aftertaste in my sweets). If you don't have a gluten allergy then you can use regular flour.
- 1/2 cup finely ground almonds (if you have a nut allergy or don't have these then you can just substitute additional 1/2 cup gluten free flour or regular flour if you don't have gluten allergy)
- 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum or guar gum (only add this if your gluten free flour doesn't contain it. Do not add if you are using regular flour).
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup + 2 tbs Crisco (or substitute butter, coconut oil, olive oil or vegetable oil)
- 1 tbs. white vinegar (optional but I like to add it to make the cake extra moist)
- NOTE: If you are experiencing your gluten free flour being too powdery and the texture of your baked goods are too crumbly (try a different brand in the future) but in the meantime beat about 3-4 oz of softened cream cheese to the cake batter and it will keep it from being crumbly. You don't need to do this but I have found that not all gluten free flour blends are equal and they can be expensive so you don't want to waste them! If you are afraid your cake might turn out crumbly then add the cream cheese because it will give the cake moist, silky texture.
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
- 1/2 cup sugar (I like to use gluten free powdered sugar for an extra smooth texture but you can use regular white sugar or unbleached sugar)
- 1 large egg
- 4 tbs. corn starch or tapioca starch or gluten free flour (or regular flour if you don't have a gluten allergy)
- *I also like to add one tsp. of lemon or lime zest if I have it on hand but it is purely optional or you can substitute 1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon but it is optional. Leaving it plain is just fine.
For the Cream cheese filling: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, egg, corn starch (or tapioca starch or flour) & lemon or lime zest or cinnamon if you are adding it.
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| Bananas should be ripe with brown spots on peels |
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| Half of cake batter on bottom then I added cream cheese layer and will top with remaining cake batter |
Grease a bundt pan. Pour half of the banana cake batter into bundt pan or angel food cake pan. Spoon the cream cheese filling layer on top of the cake batter trying not to touch the edges of the pan so the cheese layer stays thick. Pour the remaining cake batter over the cream cheese layer. Bake in a pre-heated 350 degree oven for 60-75 minutes or until knife inserted comes out clean. Do not under-bake or your cake texture could be mushy in the center. The cream cheese layer will not be gooey. Oven temperatures and altitudes can vary cooking times. If you are baking in a loaf pan then adjust cooking time to 40-55 minutes. I let it cool in the pan for about 30 minutes before removing it so it holds the shape and doesn't want to collapse. You can drizzle with a light glaze of powdered sugar and water or milk OR make a thin cream cheese drizzle using a few tablespoons of soft cream cheese or butter, powdered sugar and drizzle of milk or juice or coffee + 1 added a teaspoon of instant espresso powder (or you could use instant coffee) and a pinch of ground cinnamon. I think the espresso/coffee flavor keeps the glaze from being too sweet and adds a depth of flavor. Just make sure it is thin enough to drizzle but not watery. You can dust with powdered sugar instead of glaze....or just leave it plain. This cake is fantastic left undecorated. The flavors tell the story. You don't need to dress it up!
I think I will have to try my hand at baking a few other flavors of bundt cakes with the cream cheese layer. It would be delicious with just about any type of bundt cake....even the original apple bundt cake that I got the idea from! Just think.....carrot cake, red velvet cake, strawberry cake, spice cake, pineapple cake, mango cake, chocolate fudge.....the list just goes on and on! :) It makes a great bundt cake for a brunch or dessert. The slices freeze well too so that is convenient for a breakfast on the go!
I am seriously considering making cream cheese filled bundt cake for Thanksgiving (in addition to pies) for a nice change. I like that they can be made a couple days in advance (flavors are even better a couple days later!) and that gives us leftovers for breakfast on the go for Black Friday Shopping!
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| Unglazed, fresh from oven. I let it cool in pan about 20-30 minutes before flipping onto rack to cool! |
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| Glazed and ready to slice & eat! You can add chopped nuts or coconut for decorations too but I didn't do it today |
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| Up close view of the cake slices |
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| See how moist? The flavor is incredible! |
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| It is a very simple recipe, casual enough for a BBQ but elegant enough for holiday brunch or dessert! |
I hope you enjoyed my cooking adventure this week. Feel free to comment any tips, suggestions, substitutions that you have tried in the comments below. We all learn from each other!
Happy snacking!
Tanja
Gluten Free Casually
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