Satisfied Cravings: Favorite recipes from cookbooks I've reviewed.
Banana-Pecan Coffee Cake
Serves 12
The finished cake will keep for two to three days if it is well wrapped
in an airtight container.
| PECAN CRUMB TOPPING |
| 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour |
| 2/3 cup (firmly packed) light brown sugar |
| 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon |
| 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into large chunks |
| 2/3 cup toasted wheat germ |
| 2 cups pecans, preferably toasted, coarsely chopped |
| CAKE |
| 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature |
| 1 cup granulated sugar |
| 2 eggs |
| 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract |
| 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour |
| 2 teaspoons baking soda |
| 2 teaspoons baking powder |
| 3/4 teaspoon salt |
| 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 large bananas) |
| 1/2 cup sour cream |
| 1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter and flour a 13 X 9-inch baking pan. |
| 2. Prepare the topping: Combine the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a food processor, and pulse to blend. Add the butter to the processor, and pulse to blend. Add the butter to the processor, and pulse until the mixture forms a coarse meal. Stir in the wheat germ and pecans by hand, cover, and set aside. |
| 3. Prepare the cake batter: In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer on high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the vanilla and blend in. |
| 4. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the creamed mixture in batches, alternating with the mashed bananas and sour cream. Blend until smooth. |
| 5. Spread a little less than half of the batter in the prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of the crumb topping, and top with the remaining batter. Scatter the remaining topping over the batter. Bake until the cake has risen and browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes in the pan. Then cut into 12 squares and serve. |
