This is one of those dishes that wasn't intended to be anything, perhaps even a happy accident. We had brown bananas, so I made a banana coconut cake. We had strawberries that were just a tad too ripe, so I decided to roast them. Later that day, we were craving something sweet after dinner. I decided to combine the cake and strawberries and top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The flavours were all too familiar upon taking the first bite...TRIFLE! I grew up eating my parent's trifle on special occasions, and this 'by chance' dessert tasted just like it. If you like trifle, but don't enjoy the lengthy process of making it, I strongly encourage you to try this recipe; if you've never had trifle, this is a perfect place to start.
BANANA COCONUT CAKE // makes one square cake pan
Adapted from Sprouted Kitchen
Preheat oven to 350.
Ingredients:
1 cup almond meal
1/2 cup spelt flour
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
few pinches nutmeg
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
What to do:
Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine and eliminate any lumps.
In a separate, microwave safe bowl, melt the coconut oil. Add the banana, egg and vanilla to the melted oil, and carefully whisk/mash it all together. (It might be easier to mash the banana in a separate bowl and then add it to the coconut oil, but I try to dirty as few dishes as possible.)
Pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir just until combined.
Transfer to the greased baking pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. Let cool before cutting.
Optional last step - After 5 minutes of cooling post oven, cover with a dishtowel and let sit for 1 hour to reabsorb some of the moisture.
ROASTED STRAWBERRIES //
Preheat oven to 350.
Ingredients:
1 pint strawberries, rinsed, stems removed and roughly chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic
1 tbsp maple syrup
What to do:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.
Spread onto a parchment lined rimmed baking sheet and roast for 30-40 minutes, until strawberries have shrunk in size and are oozing red liquid.
TO SERVE //
I had kept the cake in the fridge over night, and found that this magical combination actually tasted better with cold, firmer cake. Do as you please - either way it will taste delicious!
What to do:
Place a piece of cake in a bowl. Top with one scoop of vanilla ice cream and a heaping scoop of strawberries and some of the liquid. Enjoy!