Banana Vanilla Coffee Pound Cake
Developing this cake recipe almost broke me. But you know what they say, 8th time’s a charm for banana / coffee… Right?
Now don’t get me wrong. The recipe as it stands is (If I do say so myself) perfect. Follow my instructions and you’ll absolutely end up with a simple yet intensely flavourful cake. A fantastic way to end a meal. (And of course, begin Sobremesa).
Usually I’m not a fan of overly rich desserts. (I did after all, just finish an entire meal). This is why this pound cake sits so well with me. The amount of salt seasons the cake perfectly. The banana vaguely reminds you of friendly banana bread, but in an ethereal cake crumb. Finally the coffee glaze gives a hint of bitterness and complexity that only fresh espresso can bring.
I served with macerated strawberries and a small spoonful of greek yogurt or a nub of butter, alongside (naturally) more espresso, to keep the night going.
ingredients
THE CAKE
200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
270g granulated sugar
1 tbsp (8gr) baking powder
1 tbsp (8gr) kosher salt
3 large eggs + an egg yolk, at room temperature
80g sour cream, at room temperature
1 (75g) mashed ripe banana
1 tsp vanilla extract
250g AP Flour
THE GLAZE:
1 cup strong espresso (brewed) (45ml)
220g powdered sugar
pinch of salt
2 Cups, crushed sweet / vanilla crackers
Flaky Salt
Emulsified Batter: A Love Story
instructions
Preheat your oven to 350ªF
Using your hands, take one to two table spoons of soften butter and grease the entire interior of your loaf pan. Be generous as it will help with the cake unmolding but also giving the edges a dark crust.
In the same bowl, place your butter, sugar, salt and baking powder and using a hand mixer start mixing everything in. Stop every once in a while to scrape the paddles and the bowl, so that you pull together the butter on the edges of the bowl that isn’t getting mixed in. You’ll need to do this 5 to 6 times, making the total creaming process time 6 to 8 minutes, roughly. By the end, your butter will be almost white in color and will have increased in size considerably. It should look fluffy and aerated.
Start mixing your eggs & yolk one by one. You’ll want to make sure each egg is fully incorporated before dropping the next. Your batter should always look smooth and shiny (emulsified). If it looks grainy or broken, it’s probably because one of your ingredients was a bit too cold. Pause and wait for everything to come up to room temperature. Then proceed.
In a small bowl, mix your yogurt, mashed banana and vanilla. (I season this mixture with a pinch of salt. I know there’s already salt in the dry ingredients, but trust me when I say this gives an extra kick of flavor).
In order to keep batter emulsified, you’ll need to alternate your wet ingredients (Sour cream, mashed banana and vanilla) with your flour. You´ll start by pouring half your liquids, using your hand mixer to incorporate, then mix in half your flour, again mixing to incorporate. Finally repeat these two steps, adding the last of your liquids, mixing and then the last of your flour. When you’re done you should have a thick, shiny batter.
Pour the mix in your loaf pan and place in the oven. After 30 mins, turn your pan 180ª to ensure even baking.
While the cake is in the oven, mix in your espresso with your powdered sugar and salt in a bowl until you have a thick glaze.
Place your gram crackers in a reusable bag and crush with your fist or a meat mallet. You’re not going for powder here. You want difference in size and texture.
After a full hour, kill your heat and keep your cake in the oven for 3 minutes. (This might be silly but I made this cake without these three final minutes and the final crum wasn’t as finished, so take it or leave it!).
Leave your cake at room temperature to rest for 6 to 8 minutes. You don’t want your cake to completely cool in the pan, since the steam inside can make the bottom soggy.
Have a wire rack ready. Unmold your cake using a knife or off-set spatula then gently turn over a tea towel. Then turning again and placing on top of the wire rack. Let cool completely at room temperature (About an hour).
Once your cake is cool, drizzle your icing and let it drip on the sides naturally.
While the drizzle is still liquid and not set, sprinkle your cracker crumbs on top, finishing with some flaky salt.
You can opt for placing it in the fridge for about 10 or 15 minutes to let the glazing set completely, but no longer than that, as the cake will dry out and become tough in the fridge for a long period of time.
Serve with macerated berries, butter or yogurt (I served it with Coconut yogurt and it was FANTASTIC).
Acknowledgments:
The batter for this pound cake was very much inspired by the “Go-To Vanilla Pound Cake” developed by Sohla El-Waylly, published on Food52.
As Sohla herself says, her batter is a great starting point to then go off the rails and make your own, which is exactly what I did. Even though I consider there are some big differences in the final structure of the batter (regardless of actual taste) I still believe the building block for this cake is originally hers.
Everything I’ve ever tried and developed has come from inspiration and lessons from great, more accomplished and more experienced cooks that have shared their knowledge in written and video form. I continue to learn from others to eventually, try after try, make something that I can consider to also be, ultimately mine to share.
