Banana Cake with Caramel Icing (NF)

Did you know that I have red hair and that I've gotten very little flack for it? I have pale skin. I'm Australian. I used to come home from school and have a baked potato as a snack. I like musicals. Half my ipod is dedicated to them. I can eat an entire packet of minties in the previews of a movie. I love popcorn. I would often kill for a Bunnings hotdog when I pass them on the occasional weekend hardware store trip.  I love the Harry Potter books and dislike reading true stories.

I'm addicted to antique and second hand stores. I stopped wearing dresses when I was twelve and only reacquainted myself with them when I first moved to Melbourne (the first time) 5years ago. Now, I own half a dozen and wear them on occasion. I love my partner to the moon and back and around again. I like chick flicks both in movies and books. I write, cook and photograph this blog. I love it, sharing these gluten free goodies with you. I can't be bothered straightening my hair everyday so I wear it in a bun. I have held a camera since before I knew how to work one, yet I often feel like I've no idea what I'm doing and that none of it's any good. I keep going. I power on. I buy more jackets, even though I have plenty - it's an addiction, but I'm yet to find a Jackets Anonymous group.

I dislike that I say hello to everyone that walks past my desk in the morning and only some of them say hi back. I dislike that someone scoffed at me lately when they said I write a blog, scoffed as if it was nothing, without ever even looking at it. It's not nothing. This is my 150th blog post. This is not nothing, this is (more than) 150 recipes baked from scratch. With love. All with gluten free ingredients. Most of which were happily eaten by groups of very appreciative co-workers at my last 3 workplaces. This is the first time that someone has made my little blog feel like it's not worth anything, when I know better, yet it made me feel like just that; nothing.

I know that I've learnt so much about food photography, about how to run my own business from home, how to organise a (successful) fundraiser and exactly how many trips to the store I am willing to make tobuy extra supplies (I should be given stocks in Safeway), I've found some amazing bloggers that blow my mind, their dedication, their creativeness, their willingness to share themselves with all of us; we who sit behind our computers creating communities outside of the physical ones we lead everyday. Nothing can compare to sharing good food with friends and family. So, next time someone pushes you down and makes you feel like something your doing nothing just because it's outside of their knowledge base and understanding, remember that they don't know any better. That you do have the ability to make people happy and that, that in itself makes you happy and, damnit, you should keep on doing that!

This banana cake was baked on Sunday cos I damn well felt like it. It's what I do. I bake. Some people read books, go skydiving, volunteer or go shopping. Me I bake. Sometimes I do it well, sometimes I fail. The important thing is, I keep on going. You should keep on going.

You should bake this cake, it's moist and full of banana-goodness. The caramel is, dare I say it the icing on the top. It's good, so good I was told it was bad when I shared it tod, because there wasn't enough for seconds! You'll feel happy when you eat it, even more when you share it and see the happy faces that come after the first mouthful, or that could just be the sugar taking super quick effect! 

To all of you who click onto and read my little blog, thank you for taking the time for accepting it and me. I love you, regardless of if you write a blog, wear sneakers with pencil skirts, have red hair or prefer your caramel icing without cake.

Gluten Free Banana Cake with Caramel Icing

Approximately 16 squares

120g raw castor sugar

1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yoghurt

40g butter, softened

1 egg

3/4 cup banana, mashed

1 tblspn vanilla essence

140g gluten free flour (OR 80g rice flour, 25g amaranth flour and 35g cornflour)

1/2tsp bi-carb soda

method

Preheat oven to 175degrees Celcius and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.

Whisk together the sugar, sour cream, butter and egg until sugar is dissolved and mixture is creamy.

Mix in the the banana and vanilla to combine.

Sift over the flours and bi-carb and mix to combine. Pour into prepared tray and bake for approximately 22-25minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool befre making the icing.

Caramel Icing from AWW

60g butter

110g brown sugar

2tblspn milk

3/4 cup gluten free pure icing sugar, sifted

This icing must be used immediately. Please ensure your gluten free banana cake is cool.

Combine the butter, sugar and milk into a small saucepan and bring to boil over medium heat. Boil for two minutes and remove from heat. Allow to cool for a minute before stirring in the sifted icing sugar. Stir until smooth. If the icing seems a little thick, splash in a teaspoon (seriously, not too much or it'll be thin and horrible) of water to loosen. Pour over cooled cake and smooth with a spatula.

Cut, plate up and share with friends who love ya!