Normally, my holiday baking is well underway by this stage of December. I’ll have cookie dough in the freezer, toffee made, and all the jams for Scott’s co-workers ready to go. This year, the only thing I’ve baked since Thanksgiving has been this Cranberry Banana Cake.
It was born out of necessity (three overripe bananas and half a bag of cranberries going unloved), but has proven to be more than the sum of its waste-saving parts. It’s a tasty, not-too-sweet thing that looks cheerful and homey right in the baking pan.
It’s also a cake that one could easily make with applesauce or fruit butter rather than mashed banana (should one have half a jar that’s open in the fridge). I’ll keep nibbling away at it as I search for my holiday baking motivation.
Cranberry Banana Snack Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup neutral vegetable oil
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1 cup mashed banana about three wizened bananas
- 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 2 cups whole fresh cranberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 8 x 8 cake pan.
- In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, oil, eggs, and banana.
- In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices. Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir together until well-combined. .
- Fold in cranberries and pour into prepared pan.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
This is why I love and appreciate you (even though we are strangers;)). I too have cranberries that I haven’t used yet and I have a sad banana on the counter. You are able to snapshot the realities of life and turn it into cake. Thank you!
Instead of wheat flour, can all purpose flour be used? Same amounts? Thanks
Yes, absolutely.
I just got a shipment of 20 lbs (yes, you read that right!) of Lingonberries. I’m going to try this out tonight with those and see what happens!
I hope it turns out well for you!
And dairy free! As a new breastfeeding mom who has been told to avoid dairy for her little one, this sounds like an awesome late night/early morning nursing treat!
So glad to help fill that need for you!
Hi Marisa, thanks for this recipe. I’ve been following you for years and really appreciate the time and effort you put in to your recipes and posts. I made the snack cake and posted a tiny photo of it (with a link back to your site) at https://findingquietfarm.com/2019/01/14/farm-update-january-14/.
I’m so glad to hear that you were happy with that cake! Your version looks great!