At any given moment, there are always between 5-7 overripe bananas shoved in my freezer and I’m reminded of their existence every time I open the freezer door and one or two fly out, barely missing my toes. While it’s nice to always have ripe bananas on hand for when the baking urge strikes, it can be difficult to think of anything to do with them besides make banana bread. Marco and I made a batch of muffins this week, for breakfasts and snacks and we’ve been enjoying them warm with large slabs of salted butter slathered on top.
But for the moments when you want something a little sweeter and more dessert-like than muffins or banana bread, there’s always cake. Coffee cake to be exact. It’s dense and moist, filled with creamy coconut milk and sweet bananas, topped with a coconut oatmeal crumble and drenched in a coconut glaze. Just sweet enough that it can double as both dessert and breakfast.
and a few other great banana recipes…
If your freezer looks like mine, here are a few other of my favorite overripe banana recipes to add to your repertoire.
makes one 9x13” cake
Ingredients:
for the crumble:
1/2 cup (65 g) all purpose flour
3/4 cup (75 g) rolled oats
1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup coconut flakes
1/2 cup (113 g) unsalted butter, softened
for the cake:
2 1/4 cup (290 g) all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
3/4 cup (170 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
3 eggs
150 g mashed banana, from about 2 large bananas
3/4 cup full fat coconut milk
1/4 cup brewed espresso, cooled
for the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup (55 g) full fat coconut milk
1/8 tsp vanilla powder, or sub a splash of vanilla extract
pinch of salt
Procedure:
to make the crumble
Whisk together flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt, and coconut flakes in a medium sized bowl until combined.
Add the butter and work together using your fingers until butter is completely mixed in and no dry spots remain. Place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the cake.
to make the cake
Line a 9x13” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350° F.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and cardamom. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine softened butter, sugar, and brown sugar. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes, making sure to scrape down the sides and ensure all of the butter chunks have been mixed in.
With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the mashed banana and vanilla extract. Mix on medium-low speed for 1-2 minutes more, until everything is well-combined.
Combine coconut milk and espresso in a measuring cup.
With the mixer on low speed, add 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the coconut milk/espresso mixture. When the liquid has been mixed in, add another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, followed by the remaining 1/2 of liquid, and then the remaining 1/3 of dry ingredients. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then mix for one more minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer and use a rubber spatular to gently fold the batter a few more times, ensuring that it is smooth and hom*ogenous and everything is well-combined.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish and use an offset spatula to smooth it into an even layer. Remove crumbs from the refrigerator and sprinkle it in a thick even layer over the top of the cake.
Bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the the center of the cake. Let cool completely in the pan while you make the glaze.
to make the glaze
Combine ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth, adding more powdered sugar or coconut milk to thicken or loosen the glaze until you reach your desired consistency.
Drizzle the glaze over the cooled cake before serving.
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