Banana Pumpkin Seed Coffee Cake
Modified version of a basic buttermilk coffee cake. The bananas make it super moist and yummy!
Modified version of a basic buttermilk coffee cake. The bananas make it super moist and yummy!
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 c. brown sugar i prefer golden
- 2/3 c. butter
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 3 bananas beginning to brown
- 1 1/3 c. buttermilk
- 1/4 c. pumpkin seeds shelled and chopped
- 1/4 c. chopped walnuts optional
- Carbohydrate 40.8245607532977 g
- Cholesterol 22.3103970833333 mg
- Fat 6.81687942977022 g
- Fiber 0.934653146229822 g
- Protein 2.48616929255755 g
- Saturated Fat 3.48568623348874 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (67g)
- Sodium 104.014591401341 mg
- Sugar 39.8899076070679 g
- Trans Fat 0.545803280842402 g
- Calories 228 calories
Step-by-step
- Grease bottom and 1/2 inch up sides of a 13†x9†x2†baking pan. Set aside. Combine flour, brown sugar, and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs; set 1/2 cup to the side. Into remaining mixture, add baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves.
- Peel the bananas and smash them well, until they are only slightly lumpy. Add the egg and beat to mix. Add the sour milk and combine well. Add this banana mixture to the dry ingredients all at once. Mix well.
- Spoon batter into prepared pan. Stir the pumpkin seeds and walnuts into the reserved 1/2 cup of crumb mixture. Sprinkle atop batter. For an added touch, lightly sprinkle cinnamon over the crumbs. Bake in a 350°F oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.
Why is the center of the crumb topping sinking into the batter before the edges even set? Halfway through mixing dense batters containing mashed fruit, cooks often realize their standard metal pan is too small or their mixing bowl lacks the capacity to cut butter cleanly into two and a half cups of flour.
Pan Geometry and Crumb Mechanics
Use a true 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan for this recipe. Glass baking dishes retain heat differently and will extend the bake time beyond the standard 35 to 40 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, often resulting in burned edges while the middle remains raw. When cutting cold butter into the flour, brown sugar, and salt mixture, pastry blenders work faster than forks and prevent hand heat from melting the fat prematurely. Reserve that half cup of crumb mixture before adding any chemical leaveners or spices to ensure the structural integrity of the topping remains distinct from the cake base. Chop the shelled pumpkin seeds finely so they distribute evenly across the surface rather than sinking into heavy pockets.
- Test doneness by inserting a wooden toothpick into the exact center; it must emerge free of wet batter.
- Spotting moist crumbs is acceptable, but wet streaks mean the buttermilk and banana mixture requires another three to five minutes in the heat.
- Monitor the oven closely starting at the 35-minute mark to prevent the exposed nuts from scorching.
