Do you want a coffee cake that poufs on it's own power? Go for this banana streusel cake! It's great for breakfast, snacking, or for a dessert. The cake is quite moist and dense. It's sweet, but not cloyingly so, thanks to the sourdough starter in the batter, which also contributes a slight lift to the cake. No, you don't need baking powder as long as your starter is mature. The batter won't rise much on standing, but it will get some oven spring. Because of the amount of banana in the cake--4-5 bananas--the cake will be quite heavy and moist. The streusel topping also will sink partway into the cake, making a layer of crumbly goodness underneath a slightly crunchy crust. The cake is incredibly good! And it's a great way to use up that sourdough starter you have on hand. Enjoy!
Sourdough Banana Streusel Cake -- Makes an 8-inch square cake
1 cup of starter/discard
1 large egg
1/4 cup of canola oil
1/4 cup of melted butter, cooled
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of sugar
1 cup of mashed banana (2-3 bananas)
1/2 cup of plain yogurt (I use fat free)
3/4 cup of flour
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 small bananas cut into small chunks
Streusel Topping
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of flour
1/4 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup of chopped nuts
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of allspice
Spritz an 8-inch square dish (I use a glass baking dish) with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat together well the starter, egg, oil, butter, sugars, mashed banana, and yogurt. Stir in the flour and salt until well combined. Stir in the banana chunks gently. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. In the bowl you used to mix the batter, combine all of the streusel ingredients and mix them well until smallish crumbs form. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the batter in the baking dish. Set the cake aside for an hour or two or until it rises by about 1/4-1/3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and bake the cake for 60-75 minutes or until a pick inserted in the center comes out with no wet batter attached (you'll have crumbs from the streusel). Let the cake cool completely before serving it or serve it slightly warm.
Oh my my... Here is a recipe that got eaten within a day, to the chagrin of those who wanted to reach for another piece. The next day they begged me to make a double batch immediately. This is a recipe I thought may be a long shot with my mature flavoured starter but I needn't have worried.
The 8x8 dish I used had low sides... While it may not rise that much, the juices ran over mine so use a container with decent sides. Suitable for cutting without removing from the pan.