Spring Banana Bundt Cakes
Banana Bread Is Cool Again
There’s no denying it. Banana Bread is having its moment.
As a baking enthusiast, I’ve been enjoying seeing everyone’s Instagram photos of their banana breads; a bit of a silver lining in a difficult situation. I personally love my mom’s banana bread recipe. It’s perfectly dense, not overloaded with other ingredients (she forgoes anything like chocolate chips), and pairs wonderfully with a bit of cream cheese and a cup of tea—this is still my favorite snack if I’m sick. Like many people, I mostly make banana bread when I totally fail at eating my bananas before they get a little too ripe. This happens to me way more often than I’d like to admit, which has led to me doing a fair amount of experimenting with my banana bread recipe.
From chocolate chunk to coconut and spiced rum, I have a lot of variations on banana bread. But occasionally, a traditional banana bread can feel a bit heavier than mood dictates—that’s where banana cake comes in. Banana cake has a lighter, fluffier texture. It makes a delightful little afternoon treat… or if you’re anything like me a delightful breakfast when paired with a cup of coffee.
The Most Bizzare Spring
Not too much sense in ignoring the unusual circumstances we are all facing. Social distancing? Sheltering in place? General uncertainty about what life will look like in a week, a month, six months from now? These aren’t easy things to have weighing on you. Since Portland instituted a Stay Home order in late March, I have experiences both disappointments and excitements in my career (one opportunity postponed indefinitely due to the crisis and a new opportunity coming into my life), and went through the emotionally and physically tasking endeavor of moving out of my home of eight years and into a new apartment. On top of all this, my boyfriend and I are sheltering-in-place in different households. We’re nearly hitting the two-month mark of not being able to see each other in person.
Yet for all the aspects of life that are super stressful at the moment, I have plenty of things I feel thankful for. Saying goodbye to my old home and the headache of moving wasn’t ideal, but the move itself went shockingly smooth and I love my new place (take a tour of my historic apartment here.) While I can’t see my boyfriend in person, we’re well-practiced at distance thanks to his job and have lovely FaceTime movie dates for the time being. (I may have also invested in a body pillow to replace his physical presence, but that feels like a post all on its own.) Times are tough, but it’s a good reminder that little wins are still wins.
Spring has felt like a time warp. Everything has been so abnormal and I’ve spent such a large chunk of time wrapped up in the logistics of moving during a pandemic, it is as if spring has come and gone without me even noticing it. Yes, I know that summer is still technically a month away, but with 80-degree weather and just the slower pace of life, it feels like it’s already here. Which brings me back to banana cake: a perfect treat to enjoy that last bit of spring and get some much needed time to be in the kitchen and feel normal. In what feels like a year ago (but was really more like a month ago), I wrote a post with tips for how I deal with anxiety, among them was taking time for a relaxing hobby. Baking has been a comforting activity for me since I was a kid. It’s tactile. It combines art and science. It fills the house with wonderful smells and can transform the mood. Cinnamon and Christmas cookies can make a home feels just that extra bit warmer and cheerful. A blueberry tart can make a hot summer evening sweeter. Whether you’re like me and have always loved baking or taking up as a new hobby during all this COVID-19 craziness, I hope this recipe gives you a moment of time to shelve anxiety and worry and create something joyful.
Spring Banana Bundt Cake
w/ Candied Citrus
Ingredients
6 ripe bananas (peel on)
1 cup olive oil
1 cup plain yogurt (I use greek or homemade)
3 large eggs
3 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt (I used kosher or pink sea salt)
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon allspice
Yields about 24 small bundts
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place whole bananas on the baking sheet. Transfer to oven and roast for 20-25 minutes (until the tops are blackened on the outside, don’t worry if they are oozing a bit). Remove from oven and let cool ‘till you can comfortably handle them and you can remove the peel. Pre-cooking the bananas might seem odd, but it’s pretty fantastic in this. I stole that tip from Half Baked Harvest.
While the bananas are cooking, prepare the bundt pan. Oil and flour the pan, making sure you cover all the creases. I prefer to use a small pan to make individual bundts but this can be done in a traditional larger bundt. If you’re like me and only own one small bundt mold, this will need be cooked in multiple batches (or halve the recipe for only a dozen?) and I re-flour the pan between each batch. Bundts are my nemesis and I never get them out of the pan successfully if I don’t flour the shit out of it.
In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large bowl with a hand-held mixer), beat the peeled bananas until they are good and mashed. Beat in oil, yogurt, eggs, sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice, mixing until combined. Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, nutmeg, and allspice until just combined. Pour batter into mold (working in batches for small bundts) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick comes out clean. If using a large bundt, bake for 40-45 minutes, adding any additional time in 2-5 minute increments.
Remove and let cool for 5-10 minutes before turning onto a cooling rack. Knock the sides a bit if needed, but they should slide out if the pan was well floured. Let cakes cool completely.
Finished cakes can be served with a dusting of powdered sugar, a chocolate drizzle, or a vanilla icing. Decorate with candied citrus rounds.
Toppings
Chocolate Drizzle:
16 ounces of a semi-sweet or dark chocolate chip
spoonful of coconut oil (about a tablespoon)
Melt chocolate and coconut together (in a microwave safe bowl or on the stove in a double boiler). Fill a piping bag (or ziplock) with melted mixture. Cut a small slit at the bottom and pip ribbons of chocolate across the cakes.
Vanilla Icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
6-8 teaspoons water (or milk works too)
Mix all ingredients in large bowl. Add more liquid (one teaspoon at a time) if it needs to thin a bit. Fill a piping bag (or ziplock) with icing. Cut a small slit at the bottom and pip ribbons of chocolate across the cakes.
Candied Citrus:
2-3 lemons (or use a combination of lemons and limes)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
Slice lemons into 1/8 inch slices. leaving peel but discarding the ends. Combine water and sugar in a heavy bottom, medium-sized pot. Put over medium-low heat and stir until sugar dissolves and starts to bubbles. Add lemon slices and simmer for 15-30 minutes, using tongs to turn halfway. Remove with tongs and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Let sit for 4 hours.