Spiced Banana Coffee Cake with Crumbs

Yes, it’s another “reveal day” for blogger members of the Secret Recipe Club.  It’s the day we post the recipe we selected from our secret assignment, and it’s the day we find out who was assigned our own blog.  It’s also my birthday—Happy Birthday, me!

A couple of years ago before I started this blog, I wanted to make some witch finger cookies for Halloween so I set off on a Google search.  I found a great recipe for a really creepy looking witch’s finger complete with “bloody” fingernail on Dorothy’s Shockingly Delicious blog.  I’ve made them for Halloween each year since, and they’re always a big hit.  People will inevitably say, “Ooh, gross!” when they first see them—but with a big smile on their face.  Last year when I made and posted the recipe on my own blog, Dorothy noticed and left a comment.

Some months later after I had found the witch finger recipe, I joined the Secret Recipe Club and discovered that it is indeed a small world.  Not only was Dorothy a fellow member, but we are in the same group (there are four large groups which post throughout the month).  I felt like I had come full circle when I was, happily, given Dorothy’s blog for my assignment this month.  Little did I know when I searched for the witch cookie recipe two years ago from among thousands and thousands of blogs that our paths would cross again in this fun manner.

Dorothy is an all-around cook and baker; but, in particular, she is a pie baker extraordinaire with 22 pie contest ribbons to her credit with 7 of them 1^st place blue ribbons.  Since she has been blogging for quite a while now, Dorothy has a treasure trove of recipes in her archives.  I had the devil of a time singling out the recipe to make for my assignment.  Should I make her Coffee-Toffee Pecan Pie (winner of three ribbons in pie contests including a 1^st place blue ribbon) or perhaps the Spiced Pumpkin Pecan Bundt Cake with Maple Glaze or maybe the Lentil Tacos?  Decisions, decisions!  Hmmm…  After bookmarking several recipes, I selected this banana coffee cake because of its rave reviews and because of its somewhat different crumb base and topping—and also because Dorothy’s description of what a ripe banana should look like made me laugh.

This recipe will not disappoint anyone with a sweet tooth.  It is a tender moist banana cake which is baked onto a layer of shortbread crust.  Then the whole thing is topped off with a streusel for the finishing touch.  It is quite different from any other banana cake or bread I’ve made.  When I brought some in to work, it received kudos from all my fellow foodies.  So, if you’re in the market for a somewhat different take on a banana dessert, give this a try!

And, Dorothy, we can’t go on meeting this way.  People are beginning to talk!

One year ago:  Italian Beef, Cinnamon Galaxy Pumpkin Squares

Spiced Banana Coffee Cake with Crumbs

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Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar (I used light brown)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature (add 1/4 tsp. salt if using unsalted butter)
• 1 cup (1-2 small) thinly sliced very ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 egg

Directions

Heat oven to 350^o F.

In a large bowl, combine first four ingredients (flour through butter) and mix at low speed until crumbly.

Press 1 1/2 cups crumb mixture into an ungreased 13×9” baking dish.  Measure out another 1/2 cup crumbs and set aside.

Combine remaining crumbs in mixing bowl with remaining ingredients.

Beat 30 to 60 seconds at medium speed until well blended (this will mash the bananas).  Pour evenly over crumb crust.  Sprinkle with reserved 1/2 cup crumbs.

Bake 30-35 minutes, until golden brown.

Fran’s Notes

If you don’t have a sweet tooth, I would recommend sprinkling just 1/4 cup of the reserved crumbs over the top.  Use the remaining 1/4 cup for something else—do not add it to the batter.  I think sprinkling some chopped nuts along with the streusel would also help temper the sweetness.  I think chopped nuts would make a tasty addition in any event.

Source:  A Shockingly Delicious recipe

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