Submitted by The Cheap Gourmet
Personally, I love loaf cakes more than just about any type of dessert. They are easy to prepare and can be served with nearly any meal. Loaf cakes make a terrific snack or stand-alone dessert. They can be topped with ice cream, whipped cream, berries or fruit toppings. You can add fruits, veggies, nuts, flavored syrups and liqueurs. In essence, loaf cakes are probably the most versatile dessert on the planet.
The following Banana Spice Loaf Cake was developed by me when I worked at a famous Country Club. We would cut it into thin slices, slather one slice with a delicious cream cheese spread and place another slice on top. Then, we would cut the loaf cake “sandwich” diagonally to create four triangles. This technique makes the perfect appetizer or bite-size snack.
Banana Spice Loaf Cake
Yields: 3 loaves
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
6 very ripe Bananas
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 cup Applesauce
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted
2 cups Sugar
4 Eggs
3 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
1 Tablespoon ground Cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1-1/2 cups Golden Raisins, Raisins or Currants
1-1/2 cups Pecans, Walnuts, Almonds or Hazelnuts, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit.
Lightly grease 3 loaf pans with butter.
In a medium bowl, mash bananas with a fork, then add olive oil and applesauce. There is no need to mix ingredients. Set aside while making cake batter.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar using electric mixer set on medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in banana mixture and mix well.
Combine dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add to banana mixture.
Stir in raisins and nuts and mix thoroughly.
Pour mixture into loaf pans and place in oven.
Loaf cake is finished when a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
Cool on baking rack for 15-20 minutes.
You can leave the loaves in the pans, or remove them and transfer them to a serving plate. Run a knife along the edges of the pan to loosen cake. To freeze, double wrap cakes in plastic wrap, then wrap in aluminum foil. Cakes can be frozen for up to 3 months. To retain freshness, always cover cake in plastic wrap, waxed paper or store in airtight container.
Banana Spice Loaf Cake makes a great holiday gift. Wrap in colored plastic wrap and tie with festive colored ribbons. Write the recipe on an index card and insert inside the recipient’s holiday card. They’ll love you for it!
Sweet Cream Cheese Spread
Yield: 1 cup
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
1 (8-ounce) package Cream Cheese, room temperature
3 Tablespoons Confectioner’s Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
Directions:
In a small mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together.
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat ingredients until well-incorporated and creamy.
Cover and store in refrigerator until needed.
If you’re using this spread on loaf cakes, let it warm up a bit before trying to spread it. Otherwise, the bread slices will crumble. Leftover cream filled loaf bread sandwiches need to be refrigerated.
