This is the cake built on mistakes. When you run out of certain ingredients in the kitchen, it's always helpful to know the chemistry behind what you're missing. Do you need to mimic fat? Acid? Leavening? In this case, I took every major substitution I know and used them to build a cake. If I can bake a cake with all the wrong ingredients, you sure as heck can make one with the right ingredients tonight! The recipe below makes batter for one 9-inch round. If you want layers, simply multiply the recipe, fill, and frost as desired.

Ingredients

• 1 cup AP Flour, minus 2 tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1/4 teaspoon Cream of Tartar
• 3/4 cup Whole Milk
• 1 teaspoon White Vinegar
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Molasses
• 1 Banana
• 1 tablespoon Dark Rum

Business

1. Heat your oven to 350 degrees and line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment paper (or grease it).
2. Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and cream of tartar together into a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Measure the milk and add the vinegar to it. Let them sit together, undisturbed for fine minutes to clabber.
4. In the bowl of your food processor, buzz the sugar and molasses together until combined.
5. Add the banana to the sugar and continue to mix on high until the banana is liquified.
6. Pour the milk/vinegar mixture and vanilla into the food processor and mix on high until everything is blended.
7. Pour batter into lined cake pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until brown on top and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove the cake from the pan and let it cool on a rack.