Lot's of Ways Banana Cake (TWD)

I've made this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe for Lot's Of Ways Banana Cake several times before, and I can tell you that this is a keeper!

For some, all they see are sad old bananas. For me, I see a delicious banana cake in the making:

In the book Dorie shares that this cake can be baked in a variety of shapes and sizes. I've previously made this recipe into a layer cake and cupcakes, and they turned out perfectly in each case. I wanted to try a different pan, so I dug into my cabinet of "I'll use them once every 5 years" baking pans:

So, what did I find? Mini loaf pan...perfect! I haven't used this pan since 2002.

Dorie share a number of suggestions to play with the ingredients in the cake (thus the "Lot's of Ways" in the recipe title). As I had all of the ingredients readily on hand, I didn't veer off course from the original recipe. I made half the recipe, which yielded me 8 mini-loaves. I also reduced the oven temperature to 325F degrees and baked the cakes for 18 minutes (I think the dark loaf pan expedited the baking time).

To dress up these little loaves, I topped them with some Mascarpone Frosting leftover from another cake I was working on.

This cake is DEEELISH! The cake is beautifully moist and tender, and it does not have that dense, gummy texture that I get with other banana cake recipes. The banana flavor definitely shines, and the toasted coconut gives the cake a nice chew (for those of you who hate coconut, you can easily omit it). The mascarpone frosting's light creamy texture is the perfect complement as it doesn't overwhelm the cake.

If I haven't already convinced you to try making this banana cake, peruse the TWD blogroll to check out all of the beautiful banana cakes - you'll be convinced to try this recipe. For the complete recipe (including all of the variations), please head to Kimberly's blog, Only Creative Opportunities.

Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie (TWD)

After reading through this week's Tuesdays With Dorie recipe for Banana Coconut Ice Cream Pie, I wasn't sure that this would be my cup of tea. Something about food processing together bananas and ice cream didn't whet my appetite.


The crust of this pie calls for butter cookies, a generous amount of butter (1 stick!), and a boatload of coconut. Instead of butter cookies, I used these:

I scaled this recipe down considerably, making enough for one 4 inch mini pie. Here are my notes and adjustments:


- This snack package of Golden Oreos, 1/2 Tspn butter and 1/8 cup of coconut was just enough to make the crust of my mini pie.

- My ice cream concoction consisted of a scoop of Haagen Daz Chocolate Chocolate Chip, 1/2 medium banana, and 2 Tbsn dark rum (yes, I wasn't shy about this). After it takes a quick whirl in my mini food processor, the mixture is poured into the prepared crust over a layer of sliced bananas. My filling was really liquidy, so the pie needed to set in the freezer for a bit.

- After the pie set up, I topped it with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

I was so surprised by how yummy this pie tasted! Since I was a little heavy handed with the rum, this pie totally reminded me of one of those boozey ice cream cocktails. The pureed bananas infused the chocolate filling with great banana flavor without affecting the consistency of the ice cream.

Boy, did I regret scaling this recipe down. Next time, I'm making a whole pie!

Thanks to Spike of Spike Bakes for this great pick this week. Visit Spike's blog for the full recipe.

Cocoa-Nana Bread (TWD)

I need to quit this habit of JIT (just-in-time) blogging. Hopefully, I'll get this post up before the day is out.

Fortunately for me, this week's Tuesdays With Dorie selection of Cocoa-Nana Bread was mercifully easy, and I was able to bake and photograph the goods before I polished off my last cup of coffee this morning.

This quick bread recipe is intended as a breakfast treat that combines the flavors of chocolate and banana. You've got to love a recipe that slips in a healthy dose of chocolate into breakfast food.

I was a bit underwhelmed with the final results. The look of this dark brown loaf is deceiving, as the chocolate flavor wasn't very intense, and you could barely taste the two bananas that went into the batter. Still, I did appreciate that it wasn't overwhelmingly sweet, so it wouldn't assult the taste buds first thing in the morning.

Of course, I had my sous chef Siena hovering in the kitchen looking for some crumbs to fall:

Sorry girl...

Please visit Steph's blog, Obsessed With Baking, for the full recipe.

Classic Banana Bundt Cake (TWD)

I think this week's TWD recipe, Classic Banana Bundt Cake, is one the best banana bread/cake recipes that I've ever made. I know, it's a pretty bold statement, isn't it? I have made this recipe numerous times since I've gotten my hands on Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home To Yours, and this banana cake has never failed me. To me, what makes this recipe fantastic is the simplicity of the ingredients and instructions. In no time, you are rewarded with a comforting treat that you can have with your morning coffee or as an afternoon snack.

I had originally intended on sharing with you a photo of the full bundt cake, but the top photo was the best I could do. Why, you ask? This was the reason...I had absolutely no patience, and I ended up cutting a generous hunk and devoured it before I had a chance to take pictures. :(

If you've had this cake before, you will understand why I couldn't wait to eat it. The cake is tender and moist, and it is chock full of banana flavor.

This time around, I tried topping the bundt with a glaze mentioned in the book. It didn't do much for taste or presentation, so I ended up frosting the cake with a bittersweet chocolate ganache and then topping it with bittersweet mini-chips. (That's why you see the white glaze drizzled down the sides of the cake along with the chocolate ganache.)

A huge shout out to my homegirl Mary of The Food Librarian for a fantastic pick this week. Mary is a fantastic baker and blogger, fellow Angelino, UCLA Bruin, ...in another word, she ROCKS!

You have to make this cake! For the recipe, you can find it at Mary's blog, or you can find a half-batch version for cupcakes at Dorie Greenspan's blog. I've made this recipe into cupcakes here, which was met with great success.

I know that my fellow TWD bakers were all over this recipe, so make sure to visit the TWD blogroll to see more of this absolutely delicious cake.

Now, you'll have to excuse me as I indulge with another piece of cake...

Banana Cream Pie (TWD)

What do I know about this week's Tuesdays With Dorie selection, Banana Cream Pie?

I know this pie well...
- Between my hubby and me, this pie can be inhaled in a weekend or less.
- On occasion, this pie and I have shared a 2am rendezvous, with me standing in front of the fridge.
- Ingorance is bliss - I know NOT to ask about the calorie count in this dessert

As you can see, I am very familiar with this delicious pie. Knowing our tendencies, I exerted some self control and halved the recipe to make a 4 inch baby pie. Besides, with summer just around the corner, we don't need the extra fat and calories.

Even with the reduced portions, I still had some pastry cream and whipped cream leftover ... with some crushed nilla wafers... banana parfait anyone?

This is not your run-of-the-mill banana cream pie. The base of this pie is Dorie Greenspan's fantastic crust. The sweetness is definitely dialed down in this recipe (which I do prefer) and has a dimension of spice (cinnamon and nutmeg) added to the pastry cream. Finally, there is an added tang with just a touch of sour cream added to the whipped topping.

If I plan to assemble and to serve the pie immediately, I will take an additional step and brulee the bananas before adding the pastry cream and whipped cream topping (besides, I'll use any excuse to bring out my kitchen torch). If you serve the pie immediately, you get a little crunchy surprise with the torched sugar. If you let the pie sit for any length of time, the crunchy texture will disappear but you a get a little additional sweetness from the sugar. As this pie isn't too sweet to begin with, I don't mind this touch of added sugar.
I enjoyed making the smaller pie, and it was perfect for the two of us to share. I think my husband thought otherwise, proclaiming that this baby pie was a single serving (nice try).

If you favor a more traditional banana cream pie with the sweeter vanilla flavored pastry cream, this may not be your cup o' tea. Still, I would recommend that you take this recipe for a test drive... you may be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Amy of Sing For Your Supper rocked it with this terrific selection this week! I know you want to make this pie, so head on over to Amy's terrific blog for the recipe.

Banana Cake w. Praline Filling & White Chocolate Ganache (TCS)

Here is another terrific installment of The Cake Slice. Our group has been baking through Sky High: Irresistable Triple Layer Cakes, and our selection for this month is this beauty. Less dense than banana bread, this cake only requires a 1/2 cup of mashed banana but produces big banana flavor.
Paired with sugary pecans (yes, they're fried, but with all of the butter, cream and chocolate in this cake, it really doesn't matter, does it?) and a whipped cream frosting lightly flavored with white chocoalate, this cake received thumbs up from all who tasted it. I'm not a big praline fan, so I'm not the best judge for taste.

To see how my fellow super-talented bakers fared, check out The Cake Slice blogroll.

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Banana Cake with Praline Filling and White Chocolate Ganache
from Sky High: Irresistable Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne
makes a 9-inch triple layer cake

Ingredients

Cake:

3 cups of cake flour*
3 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 and 1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon of salt
3/4 cup of milk
1/2 cup of ripe mashed bananas
8 ounces of softened unsalted butter
2 cups of sugar
7 egg whites

Praline Filling:
1 cup sugared pecans, cooled
1 and 1/2 cups white chocolate ganache

Sugared Pecans:
1 and 1/2 cups pecan halves
3 cups vegetable oil
1 cup confectioners sugar

White Chocolate Ganache:
8 ounces of white chocolate chopped
2 and 1/2 cups of heavy cream
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake:
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees.

Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper or wax paper.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside dry ingredients. In a food processor or blender, process the milk and banana into a smooth light puree. Set aside.

In a large bowl cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. On medium high speed, beat in egg whites 2-3 at a time until smooth. Scraping down the sides of the bowl between egg additions.

With the mixer on low speed add the dry ingredients and banana puree alternately in 2-3 additions, beating until just blended. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 1-minute. Divide the batter among the cake pans.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the center of each cake. Let the cake layers cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then turn out onto a wired rack and remove the paper liners. Then cool completely one hour.
To assemble the cake, put one layer, flat side up, on a cake stand or serving plate. Cover the top evenly with half of the praline filling, leaving a 1/4"-inch margin around the edges. place the second layer on top, again flat side up, cover it with remaining filling. Finally add the third layer and frost the sides and top with the white chocolate ganache. Garnish with sugared pecans.

Praline Filling
With a large chef's knife chop the pecans. Or pulse in a food processor being careful not to turn into paste.

Add the sugared pecans to the white chocolate ganache and stir to mix well.

Sugared Pecans
Place the pecans in a medium sauce pan, add water to cover, and heat to a boiling.

Boil the pecans slowly until they are swollen and soft 5-8 minutes. Drain the nuts well in a sieve for about 5 minutes. (Do not pat dry; the nuts must remain damp.)
While the nuts are draining, heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan or deep fat fryer t0 350F degrees.

Set half of the nuts aside. Dust the remaining nuts in the sieve with 1/2 cup of powdered sugar. Shake the sieve to coat the nuts evenly, letting any excess sugar fall away. Immediately add the coated nuts to the hot oil. Fry until golden brown about 2-3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon scoop the nuts out and drain them on several thickness of paper towels. Repeat the process with the remaining nuts.

White Chocolate Ganache
Put the white chocolate in a medium heat proof bowl. In a small sauce bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Let stand for 1-minute, then whisk until smooth. Let the white chocolate cream stand until cooled to room temperature.

In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters beat the remaining 2 cups of heavy cream and vanilla until softly whipped. Stir in the white chocolate cream and beat until fairly stiff. taking care not over beat, which would cause the ganache to separate.

Black & White Banana Loaf (TWD)

It's that time again...this week's Tuesday's With Dorie recipe, Black & White Banana Loaf, was selected by Ashlee of A Year In The Kitchen.

I'd like to make a confession...when I first purchased BFMHTY last year, this was one of the first recipes that I tried out...and what a disappointment...it was a big disaster! I always thought that breads & cakes made with bananas were always forgiving, but this one decided not to cooperate. I'm not sure what went wrong, but the loaf turned out really dense and gummy in the middle. I ended up throwing out the entire loaf, as it was pretty inedible. I almost sat this week out, as I wasn't interested in repeating that fiasco again. Still, in the spirit of the group, I decided to give this recipe one more try. I really wanted this try to be a success, as the desciption of this spiced banana-ey loaf marbled with chocolate was too good!! To avoid the gummy mess I created the last time, I used a smaller 8x4x2 loaf pan. As I had some batter left over, I also made four mini loaves. With the smaller pan sizes, I also decreased the baking time --- 50 minutes for the 8x4x2 pan, 17 minutes for the mini loaves. I didn't stray far from the ingredient list. The only exception was the dark rum...as I didn't have in the house, I substituted it with creme de banana liqueur.

So, how does this try compare to my last attempt? This time around, the texture was a huge improvement over the last try, but I have to admit, there was a moistness and a spongy texture that really turned me off (and trust me, these loaves were baked thru and thru). I ended up toasting a slice to "crisp" it up a bit... a little better, but not quite to my liking.

The mini loaves looked adorable, but fell victim to the same texture issue. Maybe it's just me, but this recipe will not cooperate in my hands. I hate to cry uncle, but I won't be repeating this recipe...sorry Dorie, this recipe doesn't do it for me.

Hopefully, my talented fellow bakers fared better than me. To see how they all did, check out the TWD blogroll. If you'd like to try this recipe out, please check out Ashlee's blog.

Banana Cupcake w. Chocolate Buttercream

Happy Birthday Mr. B!!!! My hubby is such a huge supporter of my baking endeavors (as well as everything else in my life), and it is only fitting for me to dedicate my baking time this week to him. His dessert cravings are pretty simple and straightforward --- chocolate...and more chocolate. Of course I am happy to oblige!

I wanted him to start his special day with some cupcakes to share with his colleagues at work. One of my favorite banana cake recipes comes from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home To Yours. This recipe is usually made in a bundt pan, but it translates nicely into cupcakes. Unlike a lot of other banana cake/bread recipes, this cake isn't overly dense, and has a light texture and is very moist.

If you are interested in making this recipe, Dorie has written about this recipe at Serious Eats. Please note that this link makes a half batch. The recipe I used is from Dorie's cookbook and is a full batch. My only modification to the full batch recipe is to add 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon and 1/2 tsp nutmeg, and increase the vanilla extract to 2 tsp. I yielded 28 cupcakes from the recipe.

For the chocolate frosting, I stumbled onto this delicious chocolate buttercream recipe on Joy The Baker's blog. The unexpected ingredient in this recipe is Ovaltine, and I couldn't resist trying this out. I made the buttercream as written, but did cut back on the powdered sugar by 1 cup (as it seemed to be a bit much). I loved the light, creamy texture, and enjoyed the malt flavor from the Ovaltine. This is a terrific recipe!

The combination of the banana cake and the chocolate buttercream was absolutely delicious. Most importantly, I got a huge thumbs up from my birthday boy! :)