Makes one 10-inch Bundt cake or 12 mini Bundt cakes
I MADE THIS CAKE on my birthday a few years ago. I started with a chocolate cake and then kept adding all of my favorite toppings. Pecans, great! Pecans, coconut, and salt… even better! There is something about mixing salty and sweet that I adore. You can make this as a large Bundt cake to share, or you can make minis if you have a mini Bundt cake pan you want to try out. Happy birthday to you!
¾ cup olive oil, plus more for the pan
2½ cups Jennifer’s Way Bakery All-Purpose Flour Mix (purchased or here)
2 teaspoons aluminum-free baking powder
2½ teaspoons baking soda
1¼ cups organic unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup maple sugar, coconut sugar, date sugar, or evaporated cane juice
¼ teaspoon espresso powder
1 teaspoon ground vanilla bean (or 2 teaspoons gluten-free vanilla extract)
1¼ teaspoons Himalayan salt
1 ripe banana, peeled and mashed
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup real maple syrup
1¼ cups rice milk, coconut milk, or any other additive-free, unsweetened nondairy milk
1½ cups crushed pecans
2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
Kosher salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a Bundt cake pan with olive oil.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, espresso, vanilla, and Himalayan salt.
Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the banana, applesauce, maple syrup, and olive oil until smooth. Slowly add the dry mix alternating with the milk. Mix on medium speed until it has a pudding-like consistency. Fold in 1 cup of the pecans and 1 cup of the coconut.
Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup pecans, remaining 1 cup coconut, and kosher salt on the bottom of the Bundt pan, or divide among the mini Bundt pans. Scoop the batter into the pan(s) and bake for 30 to 35 minutes for a whole cake or 15 to 20 minutes for mini cakes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes and turn the cake(s) out onto a flat surface. Serve and enjoy warm or at room temperature.