Banana Coffee Cake (Beth Hensperger)

Banana coffee cakes are rare. This one is sugary crunchy on the surface, like a sugar cookie, and melting tender inside, like a pound cake. Good warm or warmed up. Keeps well at room temperature, , covered, 3-5 days at the very least.

Do not refrigerate.

Banana Coffee Cake
makes one 10 inch tube cake

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (420g)
1/2 tsp salt (3g)
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 cups sugar (350g)
1 1/2 sticks butter, room temperature (170g)


3 ripe bananas, mashed with fork
1 cup sour cream (250g), 18-30% butterfat
2 large eggs (100g)
2 tsp vanilla extract (10g)

Filling
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (115g)
1 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

- powdered sugar, for dusting, or
- bittersweet chocolate glaze for drizzling the cake (see 2 versions from Betty, below)

Oven to 350F, grease and flour a 12 cup Bundt or tube pan. Blend flour with salt, soda and baking powder. Mash bananas. Combine the pecans, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.

Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly, until very light and fluffy. Whisk eggs, add small amounts at a time, whipping. Add bananas, sour cream, vanilla, beat until smooth, it might curdle, especially if sour cream is fairly low in fat.

Gradually add flour blend and beat well until fluffy, thick and light colored.

Pour half of the batter into the pan, sprinkle with half of the nut mixture. Spoon the remaining batter over them, sprinkle the top with the remaining nut mixture.

Bake for 60 min. Let the cake stand in the pan for 10 min. Turn it out of the pan on to a plate







 and serve as soon as it cools. Dust with icing sugar or drizzle with                                                           glaze.

This is how it looks baked in a Bundt pan . Source

This one is mine. A very good alternative to banana bread, indeed. 

Bittersweet Glaze
makes 1 cup

4.5 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1 Tbsp light corn sirup

Combine, heat in a double boiler over low heat, stirring with a whisk until melted and smooth. Pour over cakes or breads, spread with metal spatula, letting the glaze drip down the sides of the cake.

Source: Beth Hensperger (2000) The best quick breads: 150 recipes for muffins, scones, shortcakes, gingerbreads, coffeecakes, and more.

Quick Chocolate Glaze

In a small heat-proof bowl or measuring cup, place 

1/2 tablespoon butter, 

1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, 

1 tablespoon milk or water. 

Heat in microwave oven for 50 seconds at 60% power or just until chocolate is barely melted. Remove and blend in 1/4 to 1/3 cup powdered sugar 

until smooth and a pourable consistency. 

Drizzle this back and forth. Great!

Recipe and text copyright Beth Hensperger 2014. Source: http://www.notyourmotherscookbook.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-cake-heart/