Once Monday rolls around I try to undo the damage(s) I’ve done to my cholesterol, my liver, my saddlebags or my psyche over the weekend.  Mondays’s are for getting back to the fitness program, taking a walk, getting back in the saddle, or whatever it is you do to stay fit and trim(?).  They are for eating kale salads, roast beets and veggies, drinking healthy smoothies and going to bed early.   They are definitely not for banana cake!!  But those bananas on my counter,  being eyed by the fruit flies, are not going to eat themselves.  So it all brought me to this…..

Banana Crunch Cake, crunchy on top, moist and tender underneath.  This wholesome treat gets some extra punch from the whole grain combination of wheat and oat flours.  The bananas keep it moist and tender, while the crunch topping provides a nice textural change from the cake.  So maybe I can’t exactly undo the damage caused by the weekend’s splurge, but what I can do is incorporate healthy ingredients into my banana cake.  This makes a great lunchbox treat or a take-along if you’re traveling. Wrap it well and take it for a ride.

This recipe can be doubled easily to make a 13 x 9-inch cake if you’re feeding a large group,  or bake the recipe as given here for an 8-inch square cake.  You can get 16  (2-inch square) servings.

BANANA CRUNCH CAKE

Yield:  16  (2-inch) servings

For the Cake:

• 1 cup oat flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup ( 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup mashed very ripe banana (about 2 large, or 3 medium)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt ( I used non-fat Greek yogurt)
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
• 1 cup chocolate or toffee chips (optional)  I used toffee chips.

For the Crunch Topping:

• 3/4 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Directions:

1.  Grease and flour an 8-inch square pan.  Preheat the oven to 350*F.

2.  In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and baking soda; set aside.

3.  In a large beater bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl between additions.

Mix in half the dry ingredients, stirring until moistened, and then mix in the bananas, vanilla, and yogurt.  Scrape the bowl down, and then add the remaining dry ingredients, the nuts, and the chips.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

4.  In a small bowl, combine the oats, cinnamon, and brown sugar until well blended.  Stir in the melted butter until the mixture forms large crumbs, stir in the chopped nuts.

Sprinkle the topping over the batter in the pan.

5.  Bake the cake for 40 – 45 minutes, until the edges pull away from the pan and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Place cake on a rack to cool before serving warm, or cool completely to serve later.

Oh my, this cake is delicious.  It has a dense crumb with just the right amount of banana flavor.  The cinnamon in the crumb topping is a perfect accompaniment to the other flavors.  Serve it warm to get its full impact.

SOURCE:   The Baking Sheet from King Arthur Flour