There is an organic affinity between joyousness and tenderness, and their companionship in the saintly life need in no way occasion surprise. ~ William James
Joyousness and tenderness, yes I’ll have some of that. Is it me or do these two things seem to be lacking these days? I suppose if you are looking for them in the world that is the wrong place to start. As we are all too aware of, we don’t have much say in what is going on in the world. Sure, we can tweet, and post and share our opinions more now than ever, but who’s listening! Hahaha I just have to laugh at it. With more voices than ever speaking out, everyone’s quit listening. We are all just too busy talking.
No, what I do have is control over is myself. (Well, sometimes. You get me, right?) What I truly hope for is that when others encounter me that they find joy and tenderness for themselves. Yes, that is a much better place to start. Let me give what I hope to find. If one day I can know that those two things exist in me then I know I have increased their existence in the world.
If, for example, I were to make this cake with my own two hands and share it with another, I would in the smallest of ways in the smallest of worlds have made life a little more joyful. The cake itself would suffice for the tenderness. This lovely Banana Bread Coffee cake is so moist, tender and perfectly sweet that it is bound to increase the happiness of any morning. I have to warn you; it is a food of love which means it takes a while, but the result is worth the time.
I hope you try it and spread the love!
*This recipe was inspired by and adapted from ~ Carlsbad Cravings ~ http://www.carlsbadcravings.com/cream-cheese-stuffed-chocolate-chip-banana-coffee-cake-recipe/
Ingredients (Serves 12)
Cinnamon Walnut Streusel
1/2 cup walnuts
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
4 tablespoons cold butter, cubed
Banana Cake
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large ripe bananas)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sour cream
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup reserved cake batter (see instructions)
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Vanilla Glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease and flour a 16 cup/10-inch non stick tube pan.
For Cinnamon Walnut Streusel:
Put walnuts in a plastic bag and crush with a mallet.
In a bowl add flour, brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Add cold butter over top and using a pastry blender or your fingers incorporate the butter into the mixture. Add in the walnuts and stir well.
For the Cake:
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
In a large bowl or stand mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy on medium high speed, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg. Mix in vanilla and bananas until just until combined.
Gradually add flour mixture to banana/butter mixture in thirds, alternating with sour cream. Beat until just combined. Measure out 1/4 cup batter and set aside for cream cheese filling. Stir walnuts into remaining batter until just until combined.
Remove 1/4 cup of the batter before the walnuts are added to add to the cream cheese mixture later.
Measure out 1 cup batter (to top cream cheese layer) and spoon the rest of the batter into the prepared pan.
To your now empty mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup reserved batter, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over the batter and gently smooth without touching the sides of the pan.
Spread the reserved 1 cup of batter evenly over filling (it will be very thin).
Tap the pan on counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles then sprinkle evenly with Cinnamon Walnut Streusel.
Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350° or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (without inserting in cream cheese). Let baked cake cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Gently invert cake onto a baking sheet, remove pan, and invert back onto cooling rack streusel side up. Let cool to room temperature.
When ready to serve, whisk Vanilla Glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl and drizzle over cake.
¡Que aproveche!
Banana Bread Coffee Cake
Ingredients
- Cinnamon Walnut Streusel
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
- 4 tablespoons cold butter cubed
- Banana Cake
- 2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup mashed bananas about 2 large ripe bananas
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups sour cream
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- Cream Cheese Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/4 cup reserved cake batter see instructions
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- Vanilla Glaze
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Grease and flour a 16 cup/10-inch non stick tube pan.
- For Cinnamon Walnut Streusel:
- Put walnuts in a plastic bag and crush with a mallet. In a bowl add flour, brown sugar and cinnamon and mix well. Add cold butter over top and using a pastry blender or your fingers incorporate the butter into the mixture. Add in the walnuts and stir well.
- For the Cake:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or stand mixer beat butter and sugar until fluffy on medium high speed, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yellow disappears after each egg. Mix in vanilla and bananas until just until combined.
- Gradually add flour mixture to banana/butter mixture in thirds, alternating with sour cream. Beat until just combined. Measure out 1/4 cup batter and set aside for cream cheese filling. Stir walnuts into remaining batter until just until combined.
- Measure out 1 cup batter (to top cream cheese layer) and spoon the rest of the batter into the prepared pan.
- To your now empty mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup reserved batter, cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/4 cup sugar. Beat on medium high speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over the batter and gently smooth without touching the sides of the pan. Spread the reserved 1 cup of batter evenly over filling (it will be very thin).
- Tap the pan on counter a few times to get rid of any air bubbles then sprinkle evenly with Cinnamon Walnut Streusel.
- Bake for 55-60 minutes at 350° or until toothpick inserted comes out clean (without inserting in cream cheese). Let baked cake cool on a wire rack for 1 hour. Gently invert cake onto a baking sheet, remove pan, and invert back onto cooling rack streusel side up. Let cool to room temperature.
- When ready to serve, whisk Vanilla Glaze ingredients together in a medium bowl and drizzle over cake.
I love food! I read cookbooks like they were novels. I get giddy in a farmer’s market. I find a chicken in a pot surrounded by carrots, onion, and celery a thing of beauty. My favorite sound is Mmmmmmmm!
I am hearing you, my friend! And I’d love to spread the joy and love with this delicious offering!
Why thank you, Annie!!!