My old friend Jason Sugars posted on my my Facebook wall this week, requesting Banana Cake, just like his Grandma used to make. I don’t know about you, but that’s a hard act to follow. Almost anything our Grandparents do for us is wrapped in a golden glow of love and affection. Well, almost everything. Remember Christmas Fruit Cake? My Grandmother Dell, God bless her, used to proudly serve us slices of her notorious Christmas Fruit Cake every holiday season, and my sister and I would shudder at the sight of it. You know the kind I’m talking about: Red, green, and yellow cherries, with so many raisins you’d break the dense slice apart, desperately searching for any sign of cake? To be fair, it was store bought, and back in the day, and it was kicking around every house in the ‘hood. Thankfully, we also enjoyed Banana Cake….all year ’round. Phew!


Instead of trying to live up to Grandma’s recipe, I inspired myself by thinking about Jason. He has the most beautiful spirit, and exuding pure sunshine. Making the cake, I couldn’t help myself; I had to make a smile out of the banana slices. Every time we bump into each other at our local taco place, the boardwalk, cruising down Main St, or talking on the phone, my day gets a little bit brighter. We both grew up in Dog Town (south side of Santa Monica and Venice, California), and could have succumbed to all the pitfalls of living in a circus by the sea (ever been to Venice? nuff said.), but somehow, we navigated through all of the weirdness, and survived to tell the story. He will forever be in the fabric of my life. Smart, stylish, a loving and caring person, Jason is more than a friend, he’s just like family to me. 

4 ripe bananas (save 1/4 of a banana for decorating the cake)
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking soda with no aluminum added  (try Red Mill)
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract with no alcohol brand
3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup agave syrup or honey
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt


Topping
tablespoon organic unbleached sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease and line a 7- 3/4 x 7- 3/4 square baking tin with parchment paper.
1. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl: Whole wheat four, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking soda, and sea salt. Stir to incorporate the ingredients.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients: Mash the bananas (saving a few slices for decorating the cake), add the canola oil, vanilla, and agave syrup. Mix well.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, taking care not to over mix. You should have a lumpy batter.
4. Pour the batter into the square baking tin. Add the banana slices and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar topping. Bake for 25-30 minutes.