Cake #143 - Chia Seed and Banana Cake

Wednesday Natural Ingredient / Healthy Cake - Chia Seed and Banana Cake.

Chia seeds? Chia - salvia hispanica.

I had seen bread with chia seeds in it, maybe even expensive bags of chia seeds in some of the healthy food stores, but I had really not been that interested. Another fashionable superfood brought to Europe all the way from Mexico to make us healthier and stronger. What. 

Then the other day I noticed that my daughter had bought a bag of chia seeds so I thought I could as well try them out. Not bad. Although I have to say the cake tasted a bit like nori (seaweed). I love sushi but the taste of nori and banana and sugar was not the best combination. Maybe it was something with my taste buds, so I do recommend trying it! Maybe in bread rather than sweet cakes if you ask my opinion.

Chia Seed and Banana Cake

500 ml plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp chia seeds
150 g butter, room temperature
250 ml granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 medium bananas, mashed
1/2 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 175 C / 350 F. Lightly grease and flour a Ø 24 cm cake pan.
2. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and chia seeds.
3. In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy and beat in eggs one at a time.
4. Stir half of the dry mixture, followed by the banana and buttermilk. Stir in remaining flour mixture, stirring just until no streaks of dry ingredients remain and seeds are well-distributed throughout the cake.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
7. Allow cake to cool for about 15 minutes in the pan, then reinvert the cake on the wire rack to cool completely.