Caramel Pecan Banana Coffee Cake

I never had a sweet tooth… until about 5 years ago. Like my father, I was more of a fruit lover than dessert lover. He ate fruit every day, and lived a long, vibrant life. Although my mother was a great cook and our meals were delicious, she never included a formal dessert on her menu. We certainly had sweets around, but they were never presented after the meal.

On the other hand, my husband was brought up thinking dessert was an important part of the menu. His mother served dessert after dinner every day. Many of us are in the same boat, as some of us are learning to pass it up. Since I was doing the cooking in our home, dessert was never on the dinner menu. It took some time for the hubby to get used to that.

I use to love anything tart (like lemons of course) but I could only eat the real thing. Lemon mixed with sugar was not for me. But lately, since I have started this blog, I have learned to love baked apples, baked blueberries, baked raspberries, desserts which I never would have tasted in the past. Oh, if I had only known what I was missing.

Desserts are really pure joy. There are no health benefits (except for small amounts of dark chocolate), and excess can contribute to weight gain. We have never been told that eating cake will lower our blood pressure or reduce the risk of a heart attack. These disease fighting nutrients come from less processed food. There is no substitute for healthy fruit and veggies, but remember, there is a reason Santa asked for cookies and not berries on Christmas Eve. There is just no substitute for dessert either.

This particular dessert was way above my expectations. How can you not like anything with everything in it? Caramel, bananas, pecans, oh my! This super moist cake with its buttery, banana flavor is wonderful, with the praline pecans giving it a delectable texture. Every bite of the caramel is perfection combined with the banana. The brown sugar cinnamon topping adds even more deliciousness to every bite.

This recipe is courtesy of Bake and will serve 8 people who will be thrilled to get dessert after a wonderful meal.

Ingredients for Caramel Pecan Banana Coffee Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

For the Caramel:

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 cup warm whipping cream (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

Make the Caramel:

In a large skillet, stir together sugar and 1/4 cup water.

Cook over medium-high heat, without stirring, until mixture is amber colored, about 10 minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in warm cream and butter.

Let cool in skillet, stirring frequently.

For the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping:

1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Make the Brown Sugar Cinnamon Topping:

In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, flour and cinnamon.

Using a wooden spoon, stir in melted butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in pecans.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Make the Cake:

Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes, stopping to scrape up the sides of the bowl.

Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.