I have always had a passion for no-bake vegan desserts. I first created a no-bake peanut butter pie many years ago, and since then, I have fallen in love with how easily you can make desserts without an oven. This week I ended up with so many ripe bananas that even after baking some banana bread cookies and a chocolate banana peanut butter bread, I still had many. That’s how I came up with this no-bake flourless chocolate cake recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutions
Ripe Bananas – The ripest your bananas are, the sweeter the chocolate cake will be. That’s why you must choose the chocolate chips’ cocoa percentage, based on the bananas’ ripeness level. Dark Chocolate Chips – You can use any chocolate chips but focus on high-quality chocolate because the chocolate chips are the critical ingredient of the cake. If your chocolate chips list sugar as a first ingredient, it’s not a good quality one. Pick one with 53% to 70% cocoa. If your bananas are very ripe, the darker chocolate will go better to avoid an overly sweet fudge cake.
Preparation
Decorating
When the cake has firms up, remove from the fridge and gently open the springform to release the cake. Peel off the parchment paper on the sides of the no-bake chocolate cake. Keep the cake on the base of your springform pan, don’t try to remove the cake from the base or it may break. If you like, decorate the top of the cake with some of these easy dessert topping ideas:
Vegan ganache – a chocolate ganache combines melted dark chocolate chips and plant-based heavy cream. It stays soft and creates a glossy effect on top of the cake. a drizzle of melted chocolate Fresh raspberries or strawberries. Shredded dark chocolate Shredded coconut Vegan whipped cream Coconut Frosting
Expert Tips for Success
Use a springform pan. No-bake cakes are not easy to release from a regular pan. Springform pans have removable sides, making it easier to release. Pick high-quality chocolate. The main ingredients in chocolate should be cocoa butter and not sugar. If you use poor-quality chocolate or chocolate chips that are too sweet, the cake won’t taste good. Measure ingredients with precision. The cake has just 2 ingredients. If you are not precise, there are many chances that the cake comes out too hard or too soft. Play with flavors. Stir in 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, a pinch of salt, a teaspoon of espresso powder, or 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped fresh mint to flavor the cake. Add some crunch. Fold some crunchy ingredients in the cake batter. Try stirring 1/3 cup chopped nuts like almonds or shredded coconut. Use bananas at room temperature. Don’t use bananas that have been stored in the fridge. If it is too cold, they will quickly firm up the melted chocolate, making the batter impossible to stir.
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