Banana Cake

This banana cake recipe is everyone's favorite. It's healthy and easy to make as well as versatile. I eat it with a glass of skim milk for a satisfying, nutritional breakfast.

And I enjoy it for lunch or for a snack, always with a glass of skim milk. It substitutes for my daily late afternoon chocolate and milk, which is so filling that it is my favorite diet tip.

Generally I double this recipe and then cut it into individual portions that I freeze. I then heat one in the microwave for thirty seconds. It's especially delicious warm and fabulous for a meal on the run.

As you may know, I like to improvise with recipes and encourage you to do the same. This recipe is adapted from a box of Quaker Oat Bran.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of uncooked oat bran cereal
• ¼ cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt (optional)
• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 egg, slightly beaten
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 2 tablespoons canola oil

Preperation

• Preheat oven to 425.
• Oil the bottom and sides of a loaf pan.
• Combine dry ingredients.
• Combine wet ingredients.
• Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients just until they are moistened.
• Stir ½ to 1 mashed banana into batter.
• Stir in as many chocolate chips as you like. (I use ½ bag of Trader Joe's chocolate chips)
• Stir in chopped pecans. (optional)

Pour batter into loaf pan. Bake for 20 minutes and then keep checking by touching the middle every 5 or 10 minutes or so. I like it slightly undercooked and ultra-moist. Alternatively fill muffin cups 3/4 full and bake for 15 to 17 minutes.

In my post about a magical cookbook store I included an awesome poppy seed cookie recipe from the shop's proprietor. She also gave me a baking tip to double the cookie sheet so the bottoms of the cookies don't burn. For the banana cake, I put the loaf pan on a cookie sheet.

More breakfast, snack and sweet recipes:

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• RED, PINK & WHITE VALENTINE DINNER & WINE WITH A HEART
• TLC'S CUPCAKE SISTERS SHARE A CHOCOLATE CUPCAKE RECIPE AND THEIR RECIPE FOR SUCCESS!
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• MORE HEALTHY RECIPES