Banana and Walnut Cake - fast, easy and healthy

This cake was made by accident when I forgot to add eggs. So if you're out of eggs...no worries! If you're out of oil...no worries! If you're out of butter...no worries! And if you're out of milk...still no worries. This cake takes all traditional cake ingredients of butter, oil, milk and eggs and throws them out the window. Buy yourself some low-fat natural Greek yoghurt - it is versatile and is an excellent substitute for cake mixes. This cake is low-fat, simple to make and moist as!

Ingredients:

• 2 small or 1 large very ripe banana, mashed
• 4 tablespoons low-fat natural Greek yoghurt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1 and 1/2 cups self raising flour
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celsius
2. Throw all ingredients into a medium sized bowl and mix with a wooden spoon
3. Pour into a cake pan or loaf tin
4. Cook for 30 mins or until a skewer comes out clean

Could it be any easier? No way!  D-E-L-icious  XD

Chocolate and Walnut Slice

Wow! This slice is more-ish. As soon as it cooled, we ate half of it in one sitting. This will definitely be on the menu again very soon. This makes 12 slices in a 24cm square lamington tray.

Ingredients:

• 60g butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tblspn cocoa
• 1 cup self raising flour
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Method:

1. Pre-heat over to 160 degrees celsius
2. Melt butter and sugar
3. Beat egg in a medium bow and add the melted butter and sugar and mix well
4. Sift and add the flour and cocoa to the bowl
5. Add salt and chopped walnuts and mix well
6. Spread into a lined 24cm square lamington tray and bake for 20-25 minutes
7. When cooked, remove from oven and let cool
8. Sprinkle with icing sugar if you like...D-E-L-icious  XD

Skinny Fruit & Nut Slice

I was feeling a tad hungry and wanted something sweet but healthy to go with my morning coffee. I rummaged through the pantry and my recipe books to see what took my fancy and couldn't find a recipe which consisted of my pantry contents. So I ended up inventing this healthy nut and fruit slice. It is low-fat with no sugar, butter, eggs or salt added and is quite versatile because you could use Cornflakes or All Bran instead of Just Right. It requires soaking for 15mins then cooking for 40mins. It results in a soft texture similar to a chewy muesli bar.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Just Right cereal
• 1 and a half Weetbix
• 1 cup dried mixed fruit (I used Tropical Mix which comes in a pack from the supermarket)
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 cups light milk
• 1 cup self raising flour

Method:

1. Place the first five ingredients in a bowl and soak for 15mins
2. Add the flour, mix well and spoon into a lined square cake pan (lamington tray). It's a little messy so use a wet wooden spoon or spatula to flatten it down and into the corners
3. Bake for 40mins in a 180 degree celsius oven
4. Nice served drizzled with honey or golden syrup - or just by themselves.

D-E-L-icious  XD

Low-fat sugar-free banana cake

This is by far the healthiest cake I make. It has no oil, butter or sugar and is sweetened only by the pineapple. If it isn't sweet enough for you, it probably wouldn't hurt to add a little sugar to your liking, but I think I'm sweet enough XD

Ingredients:

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork
• 1 cup pineapple pieces and reserve about a tablespoon of the juice 
• 1 cup roughly chopped walnuts
• 3 tablespoons low fat natural Greek yoghurt
• 2 cups self raising flour (or 1 cup wholemeal and 1 cup white)
• 1/4 teaspoon bicarb soda

Method:

1. Place the mashed banana in a large bowl
2. Add beaten eggs and pineapple and stir with wooden spoon
3. Add yoghurt and walnuts and mix
4. Add flour and bicarb soda and mix through. Don't mix too much!
5. If too dry, add the pineapple juice, if too moist, add more flour
6. Bake in a pre-heated180 degree celsius oven for 30 mins. Poke with a skewer and if the skewer comes out wet, cook for a further 10mins.
7. This cake is naturally moist because of the fruit, so take it out of the oven before it gets too brown and let it cool and set.

If you want icing - mix icing sugar, boiled water and pineapple juice to make a light glaze. Drizzle over the top and serve. However I just sprinkle a light coating of icing sugar over mine. D-E-L-icious  XD