Banana Coconut Upside Down Cake

Banana Coconut Upside Down Cake

Lawsy mercy it has been a while since I've sat down and chatted with you.-- just about three months from the looks of it.  I've missed you all, but I have anonymously stopped by your blogs and oogled and ahhed over your recipes.

I hadn't been feeling tip top for about a year, mostly exhausted, and I thought it was just work-related stress.  Then I developed some unpleasant symptoms which could not be ignored, and to make a long story short, I had a totally unsuspected, potentially life-threatening diagnosis, followed up with some surgery.  I was out of work for six weeks, and have only been back four weeks.  I'm slowly getting my vim and vigor back,  and ever so grateful to be alive.  Time will tell the final prognosis but so far I've been given the green light.

I have to smile. Per doctor's orders, Ole Sweetie-Pi was in charge of the kitchen, grocery shopping, cat boxes, laundry, and just about everything else. I wasn't even supposed to go for car rides in the first stages of healing. Talk about cabin fever. I don't think I've eaten as many submarine sandwiches or frozen dinners as I did during those six weeks.  It's a time I'll look back with fondness.  Ole Sweetie-Pi really came through. 

Anyway, as I make my way back into the kitchen, I'm starting on light (as in weight and time involved, not so much in calories, smiles) cooking.  I used to be quite a snob when it came to boxed cake mixes, but not any more.  They are yummy good!  I found this recipe in one my daily food-related emails, probably Mr. Foods or Recipe Lion, but whatever the source, the recipe was linked to Tablespoon.com.  The minute I saw it, I knew I had to have it. 

This recipe, which makes two single-layer cakes,  is easy to prepare and the result far outweighs the effort.  I made it for dessert for a Saturday night dinner, but promptly ate it as a brunch cake the following Sunday morning.  It was perfect with a steaming cup of hot coffee. 

Banana Coconut Upside Down Cake

1 yellow cake mix
3 whole eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup water

6 bananas, sliced, divided between two pans
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut, divided between two pans

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350* Fahrenheit.  Spray or   grease and flour  two deep 8-inch round cake pans. (I think my cake pans are 8 inches round by 2 inches deep, and I had just barely enough space for the risen cake.)

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cake mix, eggs, oil, water and sour cream on low until combined.  Increase speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.

Slice bananas evenly over the bottom of the two cake pans.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter.  Add the brown sugar and lemon juice and heat until dissolved.  Pour half of the brown sugar mixture into each of the two cake pans, over the bananas.  Sprinkle coconut over the brown sugar sauce.

Pour the cake batter on top of the coconut, dividing equally between the two pans.

Bake 35-40 minutes or until cake tests done with a toothpick.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.  Invert onto serving platter.  Slice to serve.
Cake is probably best the day it is served, but leftovers can be stored overnight in the refrigerator. Much beyond that and the bananas might not be as appealing as you would wish.

Strawberry-Banana Trifle



 I wasn't going to post this, but Ole Sweetie-Pi kept yammering at me until I agreed to put this on the blog, smiles.  This is a dessert I've made for 30 years or more, and don't even have a handwritten recipe for it.  It's one of those easy, delicious, beautiful, make-ahead desserts that you can make without a lick of baking, or if you have the time and inclination, to make as much from-scratch as you wish.  I can't tell you how many times I've made this over the years, and it's still a favorite.  No trifle bowl?  No problem!  Fits nicely into a large pie plate.

Sweetie-Pi ate almost the entire pie-panful by himself!!

Soooo...no recipe...just a how to. 

Strawberry-Banana Trifle

One loaf pound cake, cut into an even number of slices
Strawberry jam
A bit of sherry (the kind you drink, not cooking sherry!)
3-4 bananas sliced
Vanilla pudding (two boxes prepared according to directions on box)
A pint of strawberries, rinsed, dried, sliced
Whipped topping

Make "sandwiches" wth the sliced pound cake and strawberry jam and line the bottom and sides of your pie plate with the sandwiches, cutting to fit as needed.  Doesn't have to be beautiful or perfect.

Sprinkle with the sherry.  Go careful or you can add too much and the sherry will overpower all other flavors.  Probably 3-4 tablespoons in total is more than enough.  I would urge you not to forgo the sherry.  It imparts a wonderful flavor and really is one of the ingredients that really makes this trifle.

Spread half of the vanilla pudding over the jam-pound cake sandwiches.

Scatter the sliced bananas over the pudding.

Spread the remaining half of the vanilla pudding over the bananas.

Add sliced strawberries.

If you have it, any extra vanilla can  be spead it over the strawberries, helps to keep the strawberries encased for longer freshness, otherwise it's not necessary.

Cover with plastic wrap and allow flavors to develop for several hours.  Serve with whipped topping of choice.

UMMM-ummm good! 

Date, Banana, Coconut Cake

After my last post where I lamented about all the sugar in the cake I made, I decided to make a cake without refined sugar. This cake is plenty sweet, as the sweetness comes from the natural sugar found in the dates, banana, and coconut.  I think sugar is sugar, regardless of the source, but I feel a little more righteous about its not being the refined stuff.

Sniff, I admit to missing the refined sugar, which gives baked goods tenderness and volume (which is why folks should be careful about tinkering with the amount of sugar called for in baking).  This cake, though tasty, was a bit toothy (read: rubbery).  I don't mind it, but for those who are acutely aware and particular of texture and tenderness, you might feel less forgiving and put off by it. 

I found this recipe in The Herb Companion, a magazine I greatly enjoy for its wholesome and healthy advice and articles on living better. 

Date, Banana, Coconut Cake

1/3 cup mashed bananas
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups water
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups chopped dates

Topping
1/3 cup chopped dates
1/3 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 350*F.  Grease and flour a 9x12x2 inch baking pan.

Mash bananas and butter together until creamy.  Add eggs, vanilla and water; beat.  Add flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well. Stir in dates.  Spoon batter into prepared pan. 

Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter.  Bake 20-25 minutes  or until wooden toothpick inserted in center of cake tests clean.

Cool cake in pan on wire rack.

Banana Bread II

This weekend three bananas, mottled with ripeness and oh-so-fragrant,  sat on my counter top.  I knew what I must do with them and yet I could not. 

You see, it's like this.  I cannot tell you how long I've looked for a simple, delicious, banana-y banana bread.  For-evah, I think.  Years, most assuredly.  I won't kid you and say that I've tried dozens of recipes; at the most I've probably only tried half a dozen.  For some time now,  I settled on a recipe that a coworker gave me; it's good, but not quite it.  I know you know what I mean.  Then  I discovered a recipe from King Arthur Flour and while I really like this one with its whole wheat goodness, I've longed for something that, truthfully, is made with white flour, the standard of my childhood. 

I have found my new go-to banana bread recipe.  It's a no-thrills, no-frills recipe, no nuts, no spices, just a little vanilla and lots of banana flavor and deliciously moist.  I think part of the success of this recipe is due to the banana and sugar being combined before the flour is added, giving the bananas and sugar an opportunity to marry and be happy,  and when the dry ingredients are finally added, the banana flavor is well dispersed.

And may I just point out one thing to you?  I am so pleased about this.  My bread baked nice and level, no raised hump with a gaping crevasse down the middle!  I owe this to a hint that I read on one of your blogs.  My apologizes ~  I do not remember who passed along the tip, but I've successfully used it several times, and it is this:  if you are using a dark aluminum baking pan (my are heavy, dark, restaurant quality pans), reduce the heat by 25 degrees Fahrenheit, same as if you are cooking in glass and follow the directions for cooking time.  The dark pans absorb the heat, browning the outside edges faster than the center, causing the center to swell and heave.  So, whoever posted that tip, thank you!

Now, here's the recipe.

Banana Bread
(Simply Recipes)

1/3 cup melted butter
3 or 4 ripe bananas, well mashed
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 pinch salt (equals about 1/8 teaspoon)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Generously grease and flour an 8" x 4" baking pan and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

In a large bowl, mix the butter into the mashed bananas.  Add the sugar, egg, and vanilla and mix well.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.

Add the flour, and mix to combine all.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and place in preheated oven for about 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of loaf comes out clean.

Cool on rack.**  Remove from loaf pan before slicing. 

**I let my loaf sit in the pan for about ten minutes and then removed from the pan to allow it to finish cooling on the rack.

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

There are certain foods that just say summertime fun to me, whether it's for a family picnic, 4th of July party,  barbecue or homecoming.  I like love fancy layered cakes, but to me there's still nothing homier than a pie.  And at the top of that list is a a beautiful cream pie, custardly good with gorgeous, perfectly ripe fruit flavoring every bite.  And to me, I have found the perfect banana cream pie.  Ole Sweetie-Pi loved this pie.  I loved this pie.  We loved this pie!  This is now my go-to banana cream pie recipe.

I also tried another pat-in-pan crust recipe, and this time I had much better success.  It's an oil crust and did a terrific job of holding its crispy-flaky shape after being blind baked.  It doesn't have the same desirable buttery flavor I like to associate with a pastry crust, but I'm so pleased with the way it turned out, that I will use this crust for future prebaked crust recipes. 

Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie

(Recipezaar #14979)

One prebaked pastry crust, cooled (recipe to follow)

3 cups whole milk
3/4 cups white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 ripe bananas

In a large saucepan scald the milk.  Remove any milk solids that might develop.

In a separate saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt; gradually whisk in the scalded milk.  Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened.  Cover, cook two minutes more, stirring occasionally.

In a small bowl, have the 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten, ready. Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks (tempering the yolks with the hot liquid so as not to curdle them).  When thoroughly combined, stir yolks into hot mixture.  Cook for minute more more, stirring constantly. Stir in the butter and vanilla. 

Let custard sit until lukewarm.

When ready, pour about a cup of the custard into the bottom of the prepared pie crust.  Slice 3 ripe bananas over the top and then pour the remainder of the custard over the bananas.

Wrap in plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming on the custard and refrigerate until cold and custard is set.

Serve with either a meringue made from the leftover egg whites or nice dollops of whipped cream.

No Roll Pie Crust
(Recipezaar #73041)

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar **
1/8 teaspoon vanilla**
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 375*F.

Put all ingredients into a 9-inch pie plate.  Mix with a fork until well blended and pat into the pan. Push the pastry up the sides and make a nice edge.

Generously prick the crust with a fork to prevent bubbling during baking (I pricked every 1/4 inch or so around the sides and across the bottom).

Bake 15-17 minutes, or until nicely browned.

**The original recipe calls for one tablespoon vanilla sugar, a product I do not keep on hand.  I substituted one tablespoon sugar and added a couple drops of vanilla extract.  Seemed to work fine, and was especially nice to use with a pie that called for vanilla as part of the flavoring.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I think I read on an old Salada tea tag line (remember those?) that the only way to overcome temptation is to give in to it.  I pretty much adhere to that philopsophy, considering it's not immoral or illegal, grins.

My bloggy friend, Debbie, from Mocha Me, has some some of the most tempting recipes.  She shares my love of  baking, and I know when I go and visit with her that she's been cooking up something irresistible.  With her recent snowy weather she's been cooking up her own storm and among these was this delicious Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting.

Ordinarily, I'm not big on banana cakes as they seem to lack the fullness and richness of the banana flavor that I seek, but the idea of a banana cake with cream cheese frosting enticed me, and with four very ripe bananas  begging for attention, I could not resist.

I am most certainly pleased that I gave in to temptation as this cake is delicious!  The cake is moist, the banana flavor shines through (you'll notice no extracts to compete with the bananas), and the cream cheese frosting is an excellent choice. Once Sweetie-Pi accepted that this is a banana cake and not banana bread, he liked it as much as I do.

Thanks, Debbie, this recipe is a keeper!

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2/3 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 eggs, whites and yolks separated

2 cups mashed bananas (approximately 4 medium)

1 cup milk

3 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt
 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1/4 cup butter, softened (if using salted butter, omit dash of salt listed at the end)

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

dash salt

Generously grease and flour a 9 x 13 inch baking pan and set aside.  Preheat oven to 350*F.

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and milk; mix until just combined. 

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture; beat for 2 minutes.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter. 

Pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes***or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack and then frost.

For the frosting:  In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.

***My baking times more closely matched Debbie's; my cake definitely was not done at the end of 35 minutes.  I had to cover with a sheet of tin foil and continue to bake for another 20 minutes or so.  The top of the cake stuck to the tin foil, but frosting repaired its torn appearance and no one was the wiser.  I think the added baking time may have made the cake a little tough, but it still tasted good!

Whole Wheat Banana Bread

I love banana bread, a really nutty, banana-y, banana bread, that is, warm with melting butter, and aroma that fills you up even before you take your first nibble.

This is my favorite banana bread yet. When I first saw the recipe I went passed it, because one I'm not a whole wheat fan, and second, I just couldn't see it in a banana bread. So I kept trying all the other recipes that promised this was the best; many were very good, but still not what I was hoping for.

Every now and again I get conscious-stricken and buy whole wheat flour and then have it left over (I'm not a whole wheat fan--I only buy it in the 2 pound bags, unlike the 20 pound bags of white flour I buy ever couple of weeks or so).


As luck would have it, I had some overripe bananas. I pulled out my King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary cookbook and discovered a slice of banana bread heaven. The whole wheat adds just a little extra nuttiness that white flour lacks, and perhaps it's just my imagination, but the crumb seems finer. Without the use of any other flavoring except vanilla, the banana is the top note flavor in this bread.

I made this for a breakfast treat this morning, leaving out the optional nuts as Sweetie-Pi has a sensitivity. As I was busy writing up this post, he came and said to me, "I don't know what it is, but my bowels are really working well this morning. (You know you're old when your conversations are comprised of bowel movements and surgeries).

I gave him my best innocent and sympathetic look. "Really?" I said. "You don't suppose it was something you ate, do you?"


Whole Wheat Banana Bread
King Arthur Flour 200th Anniversary Cookbook

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cup mashed ripe bananas (2 or 3 bananas)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350F. Generously grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan, set aside.

In a medium sized mixing bowl, cream together the butter and eggs. Add the eggs, bananas and vanilla, and beat to combine.

In a separate bowl, stir together the dry ingredients. Blend the liquid ingredients into the dry, adding the walnuts if you are using them. Stir only until the all the dry ingredients are wet (this is a quick bread and doesn't need a lot of beating).

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 60 minutes.

Cooks Notes: I do slightly alter the preparation methods, based on another cookbook. I mash the bananas ahead of time, adding less than 1/4 cup of the required sugar, and the vanilla. I give it all a good stir and let it sit. The flavors meld and enrich and heighten the banana flavor. Then when the recipe calls for the banana, I just add it as directed and continue on.

Cooks Tip: I purchased a couple of antique, silver-plated butter knives at an antiques shop. I loved the shape, but they were discolored from oxidation; however, since they were only $2.00, I brought them home to try a tip I read long ago to polish just such small pieces. Use toothpaste and a soft cloth! (No, I don't think it matters if it has fluoride or not, or extra whitening power.) Worked like a charm. The mild abrasive in the toothpaste removed months of neglect and brought back a nice patina to old silverware. Love my $2.00 finds.