Banana Pecan Bundt with Bananas Foster Frosting #BundtBakers

Mashed bananas and cream cheese add moisture and flavor to this wonderfully nutty Bundt cake, topped with rum-spiked bananas Foster frosting. 

Thanks to our creative host, Shilpi from Simply Veggies, this month’s Bundt Bakers theme is fruit and nuts. Any fruit or combination of fruits AND any nut or combination of nuts, but the Bundt has to have both fruit and nuts. My mind was swirling with the infinite possibilities, but I finally settled on bananas because there is hardly anything that adds both flavor and moistness to a cake like mashed ripe bananas, unless it’s softened cream cheese. And, with the two together, magic happens. My favorite nut is always pecan, so I added a generous helping of those. And then, the bananas and pecans reminded me of a muffin I made a couple of years back, based on that famous New Orleans dessert, Bananas Foster, and before I knew it, I was making a sort of Bananas Foster frosting too, but with added cream cheese. I hope you are going to like this one as much as I did!

Ingredients
3/4 cup or 170g butter, softened
8 oz or 227g cream cheese, softened (13 Kiri squares, if that’s your brand, like it is mine here in Dubai.)
1 1/2 cups or 300g sugar
2 large eggs
3 cups or 375g all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (1 1/4 pounds or 570g unpeeled bananas, about 4 medium)
2 cups or 210g chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Bananas Foster frosting:
2 tablespoons or 45g butter
1/3 cup, packed, or 66g dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Pinch salt
1 medium banana
2 tablespoons rum
1/4 cup or 26g chopped pecans
2 oz or 26g cream cheese (4 1/3 Kiri squares)


Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C and grease and flour a large Bundt pan. (I like to use the baking spray that has flour in it. The pan is my Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt pan.) Add a 1/4 cup or about 26g of the chopped toasted pecans to the pan. Set aside.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. In another smaller bowl, mash your ripe bananas with a fork.

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, beat butter, cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy and light. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well in between.

Add in the flour and mix well. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add in the mashed bananas and the vanilla. Beat again for about one minute.

Fold in the rest of the pecans.

Spoon the batter into your prepared Bundt pan and bake in your preheated oven for about 50-60 minutes, tenting the top with foil if it looks like it’s browning too quickly near the end. Do not do what I did which was to turn the oven off when the timer rang and forget to take it out for another 10 minutes! As you can see from the photos, it turned out a little darker than it should have.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before  turning the banana pecan Bundt out of the pan. Leave to cool completely before frosting.

To make the bananas Foster frosting, melt your brown sugar and butter in a small skillet, along with the pinch of salt and cinnamon.

Chop your banana into small pieces and add them to the pan.

Cook for several minutes on a low to medium flame, stirring occasionally. When the mixture has thickened a little, add in the rum and stir well.

Add in the chopped pecans and stir again. Remove from the heat leave to cool for a few minutes.

Now add in the cream cheese, cut or broken into small pieces. Stir until it’s all melted and no little white bits are showing. I must confess that I prefer the color of the frosting without the cream cheese because it’s a nice warm shiny brown and the cream cheese dulls it, but the flavor is great!

Spoon the frosting on your cooled Bundt cake and spread it around so a little slides down the sides.

Enjoy!

Dark still delicious!

• Almond Rhubarb Bundt Cake from Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Aloha Bundt Cake from Olivia at Liv for Cake
• Apple Pecan Bundt Cake from Bea and Mara at I Love Bundt Cakes
• Apricot-Almond Bundt Cake from Cali at Cali’s Cuisine
• Banana Peanut Butter Bundt Cake from Jana at Jenny and Sweets
• Banana Monkey Bundt Cake from Los Chatos Chefs at Los Chatos Chefs
• Banana Pecan Bundt with Bananas Foster Frosting from Stacy at Food Lust People Love
• Banana Split Bundt Cake from Andrea at Adventures in All Things Food
• Blueberry Cherry Coffee Cake with Walnut Streusel from Lauren at Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Cherry and Almond Bundt Cake from Lara at Tartacadabra
• Cherry and Nuts Bundt Cake from Diego at La Mejor Manera de Hacer
• Cherry and Sliced Almond Mini Bundt Cakes from Teri at The Freshman Cook
• Cherry Pistachio and Honey Bundt Cake from Ethel at eating in instead
• Cinnamon Raisin Coffee Cake from Vonnie at My Catholic Kitchen
• Eggless Mango Almond Bundt Cake from Shilpi at Simply Veggies
• Generra Bundt Cake from Kelly at Passion Kneaded
• Lemon Lime Pistachio Bundt Cake from Rocío at kidsandchic
• Orange and Pecan Cake with Dark Chocolate Ganache from Deepti at Baking Yummies
• Orange Blossom Honey Nut and Blueberry Cake from Anshie at Spice Roots
• Peach and Pecan Bundt from Catherine at Living The Gourmet
• Peach Coffee Cake from Julie at Eat, Drink, Be Mighty
• Pineapple-Pecan Bundt Cake from Kathya at Basic N Delicious
• Pineapple Sundae Bundt Cake from Colleen at Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice
• Pomegranate and Pistachio Kugelhopf from Laura at Baking in Pyjamas
• Roasted Banana and Black Walnut Bundt Cake from Terri at Our Good Life
• Summer Fig Bundt from Margaret at Tea and Scones
• Vegan Orange Ripple Rhubarb Cake with Pistachio Sauce from June at How to Philosophize with Cake

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.

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Oatmeal Stout Loaf #BreadBakers

The dark brown sugar and rich oatmeal stout give this loaf more than a subtle sweetness, making it perfect for breakfast or slathered with butter for a mid-morning snack. It's delicious plain or toasted and is complemented both by jam or/and some sharp and salty cheese.

One of my favorite places to browse around in Houston is the main headquarters of an immense gourmet specialties and liquor store called Spec’s, sitting large on three blocks (with ample parking) in an area that is now called Midtown. When I was growing up, we’d have just said, it’s a little south of Downtown. Back then the neighborhood was all run-down wood framed houses, with peeling paint, sagging front porches and inhabitants whose equally downturned expressions reflected the hardship of life in a big hot, humid city where air conditioning was too expensive to run. And Spec’s was just a small neighborhood liquor store. The nearest grocery store was a Fiesta at least a mile and a half away at the squalid south edge, wedged almost under a freeway, between that end of south Downtown and the seedy north end of Montrose, what would later become part of the Museum District.

Now Midtown boasts shiny apartment buildings with faux balconies, grocery stores, trendy restaurants and fern-festooned wine bars and property values have soared accordingly. I don’t know if this was good or bad news for the original folks who lived there but it’s certainly a sign of prosperity and renewal for Houston’s inner city.

A number of years ago, Spec’s even started carrying a selection of deli meats and cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables along with fresh baked artisanal bread and some refrigerated items, along with the gourmet canned goods, liquor, wine and beer, so I guess, theoretically, you could do a lot of your shopping there, assuming your food budget would allow such expenditure. I understand they even serve a plate lunch come midday. Me, I go for the cheese and alcohol.

You are probably wondering at this point when, if ever, I’m going to get to the bread. Almost there now.

My libation of choice this summer was a cocktail, yet unnamed, consisting of the delicious combination of Texas’ own Deep Eddy Ruby Red vodka, a good squeeze of lime, club soda and just a capful of Campari over ice. And I can highly recommend it. But while I was at Spec’s buying those refreshing ingredients, I spied some bottles of oatmeal stout and my mind jumped ahead to this month’s Bread Bakers theme of oats. Unfortunately for that brand, it came only in six packs. A helpful Spec’s employee – they are everywhere and very knowledgeable – found this Texas-brewed one for me instead, saying it was actually much better than my first pick anyway. The Convict Hill oatmeal stout has overtones of chocolate and toasted barley, the bitterness softened by the addition of flakey oats. And I knew it would be a great addition to an oaty yeast loaf.

Many thanks to our host this month, Rocío from kidsandchic. We have a record number of oaty breads for you this month – 28 in all – so make sure to scroll down and check them all out.

Ingredients
1/4 oz or 7g active rapid rise dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
1/2 cup firmly packed or 100g dark brown sugar
1 cup or 100g quick cook whole grain oats
1 1/4 cups or 295ml oatmeal stout, at room temperature
1/4 cup or 60g unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus extra for buttering pan
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 - 3 cups or 310-375g unbleached all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading

To finish:
2-3 tablespoons oatmeal stout
Healthy sprinkle quick cook whole grain oats

Method
In a small bowl, add your yeast with one tablespoon of the brown sugar and the two tablespoons of warm water. Stir gently then leave aside for about five minutes. We are checking to see that the yeast is still alive. It should bubble up and get foamy. If it doesn’t, buy some new yeast and start again.

Foamy and we are good to go!

To a very large mixing bowl, add the oatmeal and the oatmeal stout. Stir well and leave for about five minutes so the oatmeal can soften slightly.

Add in the rest of the brown sugar, the yeast mixture, melted butter and the salt and stir well to combine.

Add in your flour a few big spoons full at a time, mixing well in between. Keep adding and mixing until you have a soft dough.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for about five minutes, adding a sprinkle of flour as necessary.

Let rest, covered with an inverted bowl, about 15 minutes. If you aren’t using the rapid rise yeast, allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.

Butter your 9x5x3 in or 23x13x8cm loaf pan. Form dough into a loaf shape and transfer to pan. Brush surface of dough with oatmeal stout and sprinkle with oats.

Let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Bake bread in middle of oven 45 to 50 minutes, or until browned and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. If it’s browning too quickly, cover with foil. I usually double check for doneness with a thermometer as well. Internal loaf temperature should be about 190°F or 88°C.

Turn loaf out onto rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

And here I give you our Bread Bakers' Ode to Oats, in 28 lines.

• Agave Oatmeal Sour Dough Bread from My Catholic Kitchen
• Applesauce Oatmeal Bread from Hostess at Heart
• Banana Oatmeal Loaf from Basic N Delicious
• Blueberry Currant Oatmeal Bread from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Cinnamon Raisin Oatmeal Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Honey Oatmeal Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Honey Oatmeal Bread from Recipes, Food and Cooking
• Honey-Oatmeal Muffins from A Baker's House
• Honey Oats Bread Loaf from Gayathri's Cook Spot
• Honey Nut Oatmeal Waffles from Magnolia Days
• Honey Wheat Oat Bread from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Irish Oat and Whole Wheat Bread from Cali's Cuisine
• Lemon Blueberry Oat Bread from Kids & Chic
• Multigrain Twist Bread from What Smells So Good?
• Oat Breadsticks from Passion Kneaded
• Oatmeal and Whole Wheat Rolls from Sneha's Recipe
• Oatmeal Buttermilk Bread from Ruchik Randhap
• Oatmeal Porridge Sandwich Loaf from Bakers and Best
• Oatmeal Stout Loaf from Food Lust People Love
• Oat & Honey Bread from La Cocina de Aisha
• Oats and Millet Idli from Spice Roots
• Oats Bread with Maple and Walnut by Cook's Hideout
• Oats Garlic Kulcha from SimplyVeggies
• Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips Oatmeal Scones from G'Gina's Kitchenette
• Rolled Oat Sourdough Boule from A Shaggy Dough Story
• Savory Oats Scones from Sara's Tasty Buds
• Triple Seeded Oat Bread from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Bread from Spill the Spices

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

Disclaimer: No one has compensated me in any way to say nice things about Spec's. I just like the place.

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Bourbon Baked Beans #BloggerCLUE

Tangy, spicy, rich, and loaded with bacon, these bourbon spiked baked beans are the perfect side dish for a barbecue or even to serve as the main course with a loaf of crusty bread.

I must confess that here in Dubai, we don’t grill as often during the summer as we do the rest of the year because with temperatures that soar into the 120s°F (49-50°C) the last thing we want to do is light a fire and stand over it. But an assignment is an assignment and this month’s Blogger C.L.U.E. theme is “barbecue and grilling.” So I headed over to learn more about Lisa, the talented writer, photographer and cook behind Authentic Suburban Gourmet and poke around in her blog, as instructed, to hunt for dishes that fit our theme. A search for the word “grill” turned up eight pages of recipes! Clearly this bonafide Bay Area foodie, as Lisa refers to herself, is keen on grilling everything from peaches to cauliflower to flank steak. I was just about choose one of those lovely dishes and take one for the team when that same search for “grill” revealed this flavorful baked bean recipe with barbecue sauce. Sure, I'd have to turn the oven on, but that’s why, on the eighth day, God created air conditioning for the great indoors.

The only ingredient changes I made to Lisa’s recipe were to start with dried beans instead of canned (but I’ll leave both amounts in case canned is easier for you – just rinse them well) and I added a couple of hot peppers. Because we like that kind of heat all year long. She didn’t say what sort of vessel to bake them in so I took the liberty of inaugurating my brand new bean pot (Isn't it pretty?) and sealing the loose-fitting lid with a flour-water dough.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups or 315g dried white beans = 4 1/2 cups cooked beans or 3 cans (15 oz 425g) white beans
8 slices smoked bacon
1 large onion
2 hot red chilies - optional
1 cup or 240ml ketchup
1 cup or 240ml traditional barbecue sauce (I used one labeled BOLD.)
1/4 cup or 60ml bourbon
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Optional: dough seal for bean pot
1 cup or 125g flour
Lukewarm water to make soft dough (I used about 1/2 cup or 120ml.)

Method
If you are going to cook your own beans, pick through them carefully and remove any stones or small clumps of dirt and any beans that have holes or discolorations. Even the best quality beans might have stones since they are usually sorted by machines and the occasional non-bean gets through. Either soak them overnight in cool water or cover them amply with boiling water in a heatproof bowl and leave to soak for one hour.

After an hour covered with boiling water: All plumped up.

If you are using canned beans, pour them into a colander and rinse well.

When soaking time is over, pour off the bean water and put the beans in a pot, covered with fresh cool water. Bring to the boil then lower the flame to simmer and cook the beans until they are tender. Depending on how old (and, therefore, dried) your beans are, this could take an hour or an hour and a half.

Meanwhile, you can get on with the rest of the dish. Chop your onion finely. Do the same with the hot peppers, if using. Cut the bacon into small strips.

Fry the bacon until crispy. Remove it from the frying pan with a slotted spoon and place on some paper towels to drain. I highly recommend hiding this bacon bounty or you might find it all gone before the beans are tender if you leave it irresistibly, invitingly exposed on the kitchen counter.

Spoon or pour out all but a couple of tablespoons of the bacon fat from the frying pan (I recommend saving the fat in a jar in the refrigerator for another use.) then use that same frying pan to sauté the chopped onions and peppers until they are softened.

When your beans are tender, drain them and preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C.

Tender beans

Put your cooked or rinsed canned beans in your bean pot or another ovenproof dish. Measure out the rest of your ingredients and add them into the bean pot or dish.

Don’t forget to add in the bacon, onions and chilies.

Stir everything well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

If you are using a casserole dish, bake it in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes.

If you are using a bean pot, you might want to add a dough seal. Simply put your flour in a small bowl and add enough lukewarm water to form a soft dough. Knead it for a few short minutes.

Roll the dough into a long snake that will reach right the way around the circumference of your bean pot lid. Secure it by pressing it to the rim of the bean pot itself. Gently lay the lid on top and press ever so slightly down.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 45 minutes. Let it cool for about 10 minutes and then loosen the dough seal with a pointy knife.

Remove the lid and serve up the bourbon baked beans!

Enjoy!

Whether you are looking for great grilling recipes or dishes to make for a barbecue, our Blogger C.L.U.E. (Cook, Learn, Undertake, Eat) Society has got you covered this month.

• Artichoke and Green Chile Stuffed Mushrooms by Jean from Lemons and Anchovies
• Arugula Salad with Figs, Prosciutto, Walnuts, and Parmesan by Kathy from Bakeaway with Me
• Bourbon Baked Beans by Stacy from Food Lust People Love
• Classic Southern Potato Salad by Alice from A Mama, Baby and Shar-pei in the Kitchen
• Cornish Game Hens with Citrus, Herb and Whiskey Glaze by Kate from Kate's Kitchen
• Crinkle Sugar Cookies by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet
• Crockpot Chili Dog Sauce by Kelli from Kelli's Kitchen
• Grilled Asian-Style Chicken by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
• Grilled Chicken Shish Tawookby Sue from A Palatable Pastime
• Grilled Salmon with Mojo de Ajo by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme
• Grilled Southwestern Chicken Salad by Aly from Cooking in Stilettos
• Grilled Zucchini with Sea Salt and Lemon Zest by Christiane from Taking on Magazines
• Lemintini by Anna from annaDishes
• Marinated Grilled Flank Steak by Debra from Eliot's Eats
• Oklahoma Spicy Baked Beans by Lea Ann from Cooking on the Ranch
• Spatchcock BBQ Chicken by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Steak Kabobs by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Sweet Potato Turkey Burgers by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook
• White Bean Tomato and Basil Salad by Rebekah from Making Miracles
• Zesty Grilled Ham Steaks by Heather from girlichef