How to make this cake more like a cake?

My recipe currently has applesauce, banana, olive oil and yogurt, all ingredients that I've read make a really moist cake. It still keeps coming out dry and slightly rubbery, like...well, like good bread, honestly. Also, it develops this toughish skin/crust on top like a dinner roll.

I mix it only until the flour disappears (muffin method), about 5 turns with a wooden spoon. I've tried underbaking with no success. It's pretty tasty, but the texture is off. Any ideas where I'm going wrong? There is no sugar/honey/maple syrup in this recipe which I'm sure is part of it, but sugar and sugar substitutes are not an option here, sadly.

soleilnyc
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9 Comments

boulangere
boulangere January 19, 2015
Fat is what tenderizes proteins, such as the gluten in flour, and I suspect your cake needs a bit more of it. How much olive oil does the recipe call for?
 
soleilnyc
soleilnyc January 19, 2015
It's a small one layer cake: 3/4 c flour, banana, applesauce, yogurt then 2T of olive oil.
 
soleilnyc
soleilnyc January 19, 2015
One egg, though I wonder if the egg white is drying.
 
Emily N.
Emily N. January 19, 2015
I'd be curious to see how it turns out for you!
 
Emily N.
Emily N. January 19, 2015
If you like the taste, then maybe you should keep it the way it is.

As for the dryness, I can only think that maybe the cake needs more fat? Melted butter or coconut oil would help.
There are a lot of dense ingredients, so you might even want to introduce more air to the batter by whipping your egg whites and folding them in.
 
soleilnyc
soleilnyc January 19, 2015
It's pretty light, as you can see from the pic. It's just tough and dry :P
 
soleilnyc
soleilnyc January 19, 2015
I'll try doubling the olive oil
 
Emily N.
Emily N. January 18, 2015
The thing to remember about sugar is that it actually helps to preserve moisture and tenderize the flour. Do you live at high altitude by any chance?
 
soleilnyc
soleilnyc January 19, 2015
I live at sea level. I was hoping the bananas would be sugary and hygrophilic enough. Actually the taste is quite nice. Just bready. More bananas? Egg yolks instead of an egg?
 
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