Banana Coffee Cake w/ Macadamia Nuts and Coconut

I think mornings are the best part of vacations. First you sleep in until the afternoon sun wakes you. Then you venture on a pajama clad stroll to the sofa to enjoy a thick slice of coffee cake and some good conversation. And finally, you tortuously plan your oh-so-hard day of relaxing and indulging.

Unfortunately, I am no longer on vacation.

But who says I can’t at least have the coffee cake? Especially one that doesn't cost an arm and a leg while at the same time adding to my midsection. So instead of making a dessert last week, I decided to sweeten up my mornings (which can always use a little sweetening) with this breakfast beauty. Bananas. Macadamia nuts. Coconut. Seriously, you can't go wrong.

The recipe was extremely simple, so I'll just get to the point. First, the bananas. Unfortunately, I've been sick, so my bananas were getting dangerously over ripe before I had the chance or the energy to make the cake. So into the freezer they went.

When I regained my strength, I let the bananas thaw on the counter, snipped off the ends and squirted them out like toothpaste. Gross description, I know, but quite convenient. The freezing made them very soft, so the mixing process was a breeze. There was a little extra moisture inside the peel, but I drained it out and that was that.

 

 

Once everything was mixed together, I baked the cake, chopped and toasted the macadamia nuts and prepared the topping, which I ended up doubling. A few online reviewers suggested doing so, and even though a move like that meant more calories, I followed suite. Hey, isn't breakfast supposed to be the biggest, most satisfying meal of the day? And I've yet to meet the man who doesn't consider butter, brown sugar and coconut to be satisfying.

 

 

 

Everything came together wonderfully. The cake was moist and full of flavor, very similar to banana bread, and the topping was sweet, crunchy and delicious. It was a bit thicker than the cookbook picture, but I blame myself and my extra liberalness with the nuts and coconut. My only piece of advice: ice cold milk is to this cake as fine wine is to a fancy steak dinner. It's a necessary complement. Or a cup of Joe, of course.

So, maybe this coffee cake wasn't as indulgent as a cheese danish or a big fat bear claw, but it was still a wonderfully sweet way to start the day. And with freezing temperatures, dark skies and cold floors, that's something I'll always welcome to my breakfast table.

 

Banana Coffee Cake w/ Macadamia Nuts & Coconut
Cooking Light, November 2002
Yield: 12 servings (serving size: 1 wedge)

Cookbook Note: Substitute pecans if you don't have macadamia nuts.

Ingredients

Cake:

Cooking spray
1 1/3  cups  all-purpose flour
1/2  teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon  baking powder
1/4  teaspoon  baking soda
1  cup  mashed ripe banana (about 2 large bananas)
3/4  cup  granulated sugar
3  tablespoons  vegetable oil
1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
1/4  teaspoon  ground nutmeg
1  large egg

Topping: (I doubled the below recipe)
1/4  cup  packed dark brown sugar
1  tablespoon  water
2  teaspoons  butter
2  tablespoons  chopped macadamia nuts, toasted
2  tablespoons  flaked sweetened coconut

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray; line bottom of pan with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl, stirring with a whisk. Combine banana and next 5 ingredients (banana through egg) in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed for 1 minute or until well blended. Add flour mixture to banana mixture, and beat until blended. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Carefully peel off wax paper.

Combine brown sugar, water, and butter in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in nuts and coconut. Spread over cake. Serve cake warm.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 189 (28% from fat), Fat: 5.8g (sat 1.4g,mono 1.9g,poly 2.1g), Protein: 2.3g, Carbohydrate: 32.6g, Fiber:1g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Iron: 0.9mg, Sodium:159mg, Calcium: 22mg.