banana chocolate chip coffee cake

3 large ripe bananas

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon apple cider or white vinegar

1/3 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/8 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 cup vegan mini chocolate chips

crumbly middle and topping:
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup canola oil

Preheat the oven to 350ºF

Spray a bundt cake pan with canola oil. 

Mash the bananas really well in a large mixing bowl. Add oil, almond milk, vinegar, sugar, and vanilla and whisk to combine. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda,salt, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg and clove. Stir to combine. Fold in chocolate chips with a spatula. 

To make the crumbly topping and filling, mix together the brown sugar, flour, white sugar and cinnamon in a small mixing bowl with your hands or a fork. Pour over the mixture about 1/2 the oil. Stir in the oil, pressing mixture together to make large clumps. Pour in the other half and continue to crumble the mixture until all of the oil is pushed into the crumbs.

Sprinkle about 1/3 of the crumb mixture into the bottom of the bundt cake pan. Pour 1/2 the batter over the crumbs. Sprinkle the rest of the crumbs over the first 1/2 of the batter. Now pour the rest of the batter over the crumbs.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the cake comes out clean. Flip the pan over by placing a large cutting board or plate over the top and (using oven mitts) put one hand under the bottom of the pan and one hand pressed on top of the cutting board, and flip. Let the pan sit on the cutting board for at least 5 minutes before you try to slip the pan off the cake, just to prevent sticking, ie heartbreak. After 5 minutes, give the cutting board a rap against the stove or counter to loosen the cake from the pan and lift the pan away carefully. Success! Let the cake cool for about 20 minutes before slicing, as its durability improves after cooling.

Graham Cracker Cupcake!

for the cake

1 cup all purpose unbleached flour

1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

3 tablespoons molasses

1 cup unsweetened almond milk

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/3 cup canola oil

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

for the chocolate glaze:

1 bag or 12 oz chocolate chips

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the Ginger Chocolate Buttercream

1 1/2 -2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup earth balance, softened

1/4 cup coconut shortening

2 tablespoons maple syrup

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 teaspoons ground ginger

Crumbled Vegan Graham crackers, optional

Preheat oven to 350ºF

Mix together the almond milk, vinegar, oil, molasses, brown sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a whisk. Now sift in the flours, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda,and baking powder. Stir until combined.

Line a muffin tin with cupcake liners and scoop batter into cups. Fill each about 3/4 way to the top. Bake about 18 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cool.

For the chocolate glaze, melt chocolate in the microwave or on the stovetop. Stir in the cinnamon and ginger. Let cool slightly.

Make the buttercream by beating the margarine and shortening together in a stand mixer until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. On a low speed slowly add the first cup and 1/2 of the powdered sugar and increase speed as the powder gets incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the rest of the sugar. Slowly bring it back up to speed. In a very slow stream while mixer is at medium speed, pour in maple syrup. Increase the speed to high and beat about 3 minutes. Then scrape down the bowl and add cocoa powder, ginger and vanilla. Slowly bring the mixer back up to speed until the cocoa powder is incorporated and beat at a high speed about 4 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy. Then cut a hole in a large plastic bag at the bottom edge and drop a large piping tip in. Fill up the bag with your spatula and push frosting down to tip. 

Using a spoon, dollop about 1 tablespoon of the chocolate ginger spread onto the middle of a cupcake. Using the back of the spoon, push the chocolate around to the edges. Repeat with remaining cupcakes and chocolate. Now pipe a small swirl of buttercream on top of the chocolate spread. Crumble graham crackers over the tops of the cupcakes if desired.