Banana Crumb Cake

Here’s a great way to use up those bananas that turned brown before you had a chance to eat them.  That’s been happening to me a lot lately!  Instead of baking muffins or banana bread, how about a Banana Crumb Cake?

Banana Crumb Cake

recipe from Good Housekeeping, December 2010

Makes 12 servings

Coconut-Pecan Topping:

• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
• 1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, toasted
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp.  ground cinnamon
• 2 Tbsp. butter or margarine

Banana Cake:

• 1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp.  baking soda
• 1/2 tsp.  ground cinnamon
• 4 Tbsp. butter or margarine, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 3 Tbsp pure honey
• 2 lg eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup mashed bananas (from 3 very ripe medium bananas)
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract

Prepare Coconut-Pecan Topping: In medium bowl, combine pecans, coconut, flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon.  With pastry blender or 2 knives used scissors-fashion, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, with a few pea-size chunks remaining.

Prepare Banana Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease 9-inch springform pan; line bottom with parchment paper and grease parchment.  In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon until well blended.  In a large bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter, sugar, and honey until light and creamy, about 5 minutes., scraping bowl occasionally.  Gradually add eggs, beating after each addition.  On low speed, add half of flour mixture, then mashed bananas and vanilla. Add remaining flour mixture and beat just until smooth.

Spoon batter into prepared pan and spread evenly.  Sprinkle with crumb topping.  Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack 10 minutes.  With small metal spatula, loosen cake from side of pan and remove  Cool completely.  (Cake can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and kept at room temperature up to 1 day.)