Clear-the-Cupboard-Cake

We're leaving for France on Saturday for one glorious week in Burgundy, a winter escape I very much look forward to. I can't wait to drink wine at my favorite places again, eat escargots until I can eat them no more and have lunch at lovely, little unknown restaurants. But most of all, I am looking forward to getting inspired again. I have always said that France has been my cooking school. I find such great inspiration at markets, in little food shops and especially through the people and the way they cook.
Before leaving though, I like to make sure that things are taken care of. No messy house left behind, no piles of laundry, no unfinished work and certainly no food in the fridge or in the cupboards which may go bad while we're away. That's why I always make sure that in the week before we leave, all little odds and ends which haven't been used are finally put to good use. Waste is not a good thing. Baking a clear-the-cupboard cake, however, is. 
This rich, flavorful cake is filled with all those ingredients that were hanging around the kitchen desperately needing to be used up. Two smalls tubs of applesauce (we always get some from my mother-in-law when we visit, but no one really eats them), a couple of brown bananas (forgotten snacks found at the bottom of Kirstie's schoolbag), a little bag of grated coconut and a half a bag of chocolate chips that had been in the fridge forever. 
The best part of this cake though is that it has very little fat. No butter, just the applesauce, the bananas and a mere tablespoon of sunflower oil. Not that I suddenly have anything against butter or fat (haha! that'll be the day!), but you know, it is also possible to make a deliciously moist cake using things like fruit purees. A sensible idea right now considering the coming week in France. I'm making room for a lot of indulgences. 
Here's the recipe:


Clear-the-Cupboard-Cake
Serves 8-10

1 egg
50g raw cane sugar
80g caster sugar
2 very ripe bananas
2 small tubs of applesauce (200g)
1 tbsp sunflower oil
200g flour
3/4 tbsp baking powder
170g chocolate chips
25g grated coconut
dusting of sugar and slivered almonds


Preheat the oven to 180C and line a cake pan with baking paper. Beat the egg and the sugars until pale and creamy. Add the mashed bananas, the applesauce and the oil. Stir and follow with the flour, baking powder, chocolate chips and coconut. Fold these ingredients gently into the batter and pour into the prepared pan. Dust with the slivered almonds and a little sugar. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: you can also add different ingredients to the cake such as nuts or dried fruits. I think sliced dried apricots, pecans and white chocolate would be a fantastic combination.