Apple Banana Cake

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Sometimes, the bananas all seem to ripen (or over-ripen) at once. When a couple of spots develop on those apples in the crisper drawer at the same time, it might just be time for a dessert that uses up both these kinds of fruit.

This cake is super moist and is the kind that really doesn't need any kind of frosting--though ice cream lovers no doubt can be coerced into adding a scoop of vanilla bean on the top, especially if the cake is still warm from the oven.

This goes together quite quickly, except for chopping or grating the apples. As I noted with the Apple Gingerbread I just posted, this is the time to use a small food processor or chopper like the one that came with my immersion blender. But if you don't have any electric appliance like that, it still doesn't take too much time to grate or finely chop the apples, and the results are well worth it.

Apple Banana Cake

Ingredients

1 1/2 c sugar (may use part brown sugar if desired)
1 c mashed banana--about 2 to 3 medium bananas
1/2 t vanilla
¹⁄₂ c canola oil
2 eggs
2 c flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 t cinnamon
4 c cored and chopped apples (press into cup lightly)

¹⁄₂ cup of chopped walnuts (optional)


1.  Combine sugar, banana, oil, eggs, and vanilla in mixing bowl and beat together until thoroughly mixed and light in color.
2.  Sift the flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon together (or still together well in a separate bowl from the egg mixture).
3.  Add the flour mixture to the liquid ingredients and stir just until completely mixed. Fold in the apples and nuts and continue until stirring until the apples are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
4.  Pour the batter into a 9 X 13 pan that has not been oiled. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

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Raspberry Banana Coffee Cake

It's raspberry season again, time for me to find new ways to use the ever abundant crop of backyard berries. This week I had some bananas to use up as well, so it was time to try  raspberry banana combination. This recipe stretches a couple of packages of raspberries into a lot of servings, in case you don't have quite the access to these expensive fruits as I do. (And have you noticed how the previous 8 oz packages have become only 6 ounces over the past few seasons!) And though it is labeled a "coffeecake," it can serve as a dessert as well as a breakfast or brunch bread.

If you like the almond flavor combination with the raspberries (and I do), you might want to add slivered almonds to the cake and then top it with almonds rather than pecans. However, since pecans were what I had in the house, that is what I used today.Substitute a teaspoon of almond extract for one teaspoon of the vanilla for even more almond flavor as well.

 Raspberry Banana Coffee Cake

12 oz raspberries, about 2 cups

2 T sugar

1 t lemon juice

1/2 c butter

1/4 c canola oil

2 c sugar

4 eggs

3 large bananas, mashed well (1 1/2 c) 

2 t vanilla

1 c plain nonfat yogurt (NOT Greek)

4 c flour

2 t baking powder

1 3/4 t baking soda

1 t cinnamon

1.  Combine raspberries, 2 tablespoons of sugar, and lemon juice and set aside. (If using frozen raspberries, drain the raspberries before adding other ingredients.)

2.  Beat together the butter, oil, and sugar until smooth. 

3.  Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the mashed bananas and vanilla. 

4.  Sift the dry ingredients together and add to the banana mixture alternately with the yogurt*.

5.  Generally grease and flour a 10 inch tube pan or Bundt pan. Pour about a third of the batter into the pan and then top with half the raspberries. Then layer another third of the batter, the rest of the berries, and the last of the batter. 

6.  Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

7.  Allow the cake to cool in the pan about 15 minutes before turning on to a cake plate.

8. Top with the Powdered Sugar Glaze while the cake is still warm, and add pecans if desired. Serve warm or cold. Makes about 16 to 20 slices.

Powdered Sugar Glaze 

1 1/2 T butter, softened

1 c powdered sugar

1 t almond extract

approximately 1 T milk

1.  Stir all ingredients together, adding more milk if needed, a few drops at a time. 

2.  Spread the glaze over the top of the cake, pushing to the edges so the glaze drizzles down the sides in an attractive pattern.

3.  If desired, add pecan halves or slivered almonds to the top.