Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Brown Sugar Banana Coffee Cake


By: Daryl Wood Gerber aka Avery Aames

I was lucky enough to have a vacation last week. My husband and I had planned it for quite a while. It was great. I sat by the ocean (with lots of sunblock and under an umbrella...so much for the days when we didn't know better than to roast in the sun). I listened to the roar of the water, the twitter of birds, and island music. I read. I walked, I swam, I breathed. You remember how to do that, right?

In/out, repeat...

Sometimes in this busy world we forget. 

Fabulous cheese & wine shop 

Hawaiian Goose - Nene, very tame

The view on a morning walk


Anyway, I'm not back two days and I'm already having to remind myself to breathe. Why? I have deadlines...the second of A COOKBOOK NOOK MYSTERY is due at the end of the week. Title: INHERIT THE WORD. For those of you trying to follow how publishing works schedule-wise, that means the book is turned in a year in advance. This book won't come out until next March. The moment I turn that in, I'll get the final-final edits for the first in the series, FINAL SENTENCE.

Breathe...

When those are turned in, I'll be working on another book and the outline for the third in the Cookbook Nook series.

Breathe...

I don't know about you, but when work and deadlines come at me fast and furious, I need sweets. There's just something about a good coffee cake and a cup of coffee that puts me at ease. I know, I should probably be focusing on fruit, and I do. I have that for breakfast and an afternoon snack, but the mid-morning pick-me-up I crave is coffee cake. I hope you'll enjoy this version. It's something I dreamed up because it has all the basics I love in a coffee cake, mixed together.

Today, take a mini-vacation. Find the time. To breathe. To laugh. To listen to the wind and the birds (if there are any around).


BANANA BROWN SUGAR & CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE
Regular or gluten-free


Ingredients:

2 cups regular or Gluten-Free Baking and Pancake Mix {I used Bisquick}
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or vanillin
2/3 cup butter, melted
2 eggs, large
1 cup cream cheese
1 tsp. cider vinegar

Filling:

1/2 cup brown sugar
2 bananas, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup raisins
1 tsp. cinnamon

Topping:

Brown sugar
Cinnamon

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix together the filling ingredients and set aside.



For the batter:  Mix melted butter and sugar and vanilla.  Add eggs and beat on low.  Still beating on low, add cream cheese and vinegar.  Then add the baking mix until thoroughly mixed.


Spoon half of the batter into a greased 8” or 9” square pan.  Layer all of the filling on top of that.  Spread the rest of the batter over the filling.


Bake for 40-45 minutes. When inserted, a toothpick should come out clean. 

When cool, remove the cake from the pan and sprinkle with a generous amount of brown sugar. 

Serve warm or room temperature, plain or with whipped cream.



* * * * 





You can learn more about me, Daryl by clicking this LINK. "Like" my page on Facebook and "follow" me on TwitterAnd if you haven't done so, sign up for the mailing list
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10 comments:

  1. So glad you got a week off Daryl/Avery--hope you can hold on to some of that relaxation. Cake looks marvelous!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Lucy, it's amazing how fast the relaxation vanishes when you've got deadlines! LOL. I'm eating cake to keep me calm.

      Daryl aka Avery

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  2. Daryl/Avery - that photo of your morning walks is absolutely gorgeous. I'm glad to hear that you got some much-needed R&R. That coffee cake looks amazing. (Marc is glad you posted the recipe because he wants me to make it for his next coffee break!)

    ~ Cleo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cleo, I have to admit I made this cake right before I left on vacation so I had this post ready and now I'm getting ready to make it again today because it's so good! Tell Marc to enjoy.

      Daryl aka Avery

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  3. Great! This is like a vacation in a pan. I'm so there.

    I'm really glad you enjoyed yours. Keep breathing!

    MJ aka Victoria

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Vacation in a pan, that's cute. Love it. Yes, eating can be that sometimes. It's getting close to my next snack time. :)

      Hugs,

      Daryl

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  4. Isn't that photo gorgeous! I'm so glad you had a chance to get away. I think I spend too much time eating and breathing. This looks absolutely delicious!

    ~Krista

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You can't spend too much time breathing, Krista. Without it, well...you'd be like one of the victims in our books. Keep it up! :)

      Daryl

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  5. Warm coffee cake with coffee or tea. Sigh How delightful!

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    Replies
    1. Libby, it is one of my truly delicious and anticipated moments of a day. Love my coffee breaks!

      Avery aka Daryl

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