Easy and simple banana bread to celebrate five years

It’s been five years (and three months) since I started writing this blog.  I wanted to drop by in September, observe this anniversary and thank you all of you out there for reading my words and appreciating my stories and recipes.  And then things got in the way…unfortunately…  But this little space in the large blogosphere would not exist without you.  So, thank you from the bottom of my heart!  Also, I wanted to gift you this exquisite banana bread recipe, a sweet gem all the way from Maui.  

Lately, whenever I read or find anything Maui-related I stop and take notice.  That’s probably because Adrian and I made two trips to Maui in a year.  Needless to say we love Hawaii even if it would be faster to fly home to Romania than to get to this remote paradise in the Pacific. 

Everything tends to be simpler on Maui.  The moment we land, we instantly relax and embrace the slower island pace, soft sand, annoyingly clear water, lush vegetation and stunningly fiery sunsets.  Oh, and let’s not forget about the Maui specialty – banana bread – a bite of that buttery goodness and you’ll never want to leave.  We began to really appreciate banana bread on the winding and wondrous drive on the road to Hana, a town in the heart of the island’s rainforest.    

This banana bread truly captures the spirit of Maui.  Sometimes, simple is the way to go because the simplest of ingredients make for the boldest of flavors and stunning results.  This banana bread is case in point.  It is dense, spongy, moist and features a deep and elegant banana bouquet that easily envelopes the surroundings.  It is deeply decadent while highlighting basic, clean and unspoiled aromas that undoubtedly go a long way.   

 

It’s gutsy to refrain from tinkering with a recipe, over-embellishing and overflowing with needless ingredients.  I tried really hard to control myself from tossing in any crunchy texture or lemony zing.  But this recipe doesn’t need any of that.  The straightforward yet decadent flavor of banana shines through and makes for a wonderful dessert, snack or breakfast.  Enjoy this magical recipe and Happy New Year to everyone!

Easy and Simple Banana Bread

Adapted from Julia’s Best Banana Bread from Bon Appétit (March 2013)

Makes: 1 loaf of banana bread

Ingredients:

·         Butter for greasing the pan

·         1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the pan

·         1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

·         ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

·         3 large eggs

·         1 ½ cups sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         1 cup mashed ripe bananas (from about 2 large bananas)

·         ¾ cup vegetable oil

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Butter and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. 

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.  Whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, bananas and oil in a large bowl until smooth.  Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture and stir just until combined.  Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

Bake until a tester inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean, about 60-65 minutes.  Transfer to a wire rack and let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes.  Run a knife around inside of the pan to release the bread.  Turn out onto the rack and let cool completely. 

Do ahead:  Banana bread can be made 3 days ahead.  Store airtight at room temperature.      

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Vanilla Walnut Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

I’ve mentioned this before and I’ll state it again – my family has an uncanny fascination with buttercream-covered cakes.  We favor them over crisp cookies, juicy pies, and somewhat drier cakes.  If there is a lick-your-fingers-buttercream-covered cake, it will always take the coveted first prize.  And you already know about my infatuation with vanilla – yes, I’d always choose it over chocolate; that’s why, when my grandma asks which dessert to whip up when I’m in Romania, this Vanilla Walnut Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is at the top of my list. 

This Vanilla Walnut Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting is yet another masterpiece that can only be achieved by nursing and diligently whisking the egg and sugar mixture in a bowl over a pot of simmering water, which at times can be daunting and irking.  However, I’m proud of my merry path to mastering the art of cooked cream over a double boiler because the nicely thickened silkiness you create is worth a small fortune and will make you ignore the free facial and aching bicep muscle!  

The cake is vanilla-infused, soft and pillowy, textured with toasted, fragrant walnuts and offers the perfect balance to the luxurious, velvety vanilla speckled frosting, while the glossy chocolate ganache on top brings a beautiful, rich counterpart to the whole experience.  There are lots of flavors and textures woven into this glorious cake albeit in the end it all comes down to the same humble yet mighty potent main ingredient and star of the show – you guessed it, vanilla.  And if I haven’t dished enough about my love for vanilla or this particular cake, let me make it clear: this is my favorite vanilla cake and I hope you enjoy it just as much as I do!   

Vanilla Walnut Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 24 squares

Ingredients for the Batter:

·         6 egg whites, at room temperature

·         180 grams sugar

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

·         120 grams all-purpose flour

·         1 teaspoon baking powder

·         Pinch of salt

·         150 grams roasted walnuts, roughly chopped

Ingredients for the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

·         6 egg yolks, at room temperature

·         210 grams confectioners’ sugar

·         Seeds from 1 vanilla bean

·         50 ml whole milk

·         250 grams butter, at room temperature

Ingredients for the Chocolate Ganache:

·         170 grams (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

·         2/3 cups heavy cream

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for the Batter:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Coat the bottom and sides of a 14 x10 x 2-inch baking pan with butter and flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.  Set aside.

Separate the egg yolks (you will use the egg yolks for the buttercream frosting) and egg whites.

In a large bowl, beat the egg whites using an electric hand mixer until they hold medium-firm peaks.  Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat to incorporate.  Gradually, add the flour mixture.  Using a spatula, fold in the chopped walnuts. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan making sure the batter spreads all throughout the pan, and bake for 22-23 minutes or until a tester comes out clean and the cake is nicely golden-brown.  Cool completely in the pan on a rack.

Instructions for the Vanilla Buttercream Frosting:

In a medium heat-proof bowl, beat the eggs yolks with the confectioners’ sugar for 2-3 minutes.  Add the seeds from the vanilla bean and beat to incorporate.  Slowly, pour in the milk and beat until fully incorporated.  Put the bowl on top of a pan of simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl doesn’t come in contact with the water.  Gently and leisurely beat the eggs, sugar, vanilla and milk mixture with a whisk until it thickens and looks like a thick cream, about 30 minutes.  Set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally. 

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Slowly and in batches, add the vanilla cream and beat on medium-low speed, scrapping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.  Don’t whip!   

With a knife or offset spatula, evenly spread the frosting over the cake.  

Instructions for the Chocolate Ganache:

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside.  Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream.  Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips.  Using a fork or a spoon, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  

Drizzle the chocolate ganache all over the cake.  Allow the ganache to harden.  Cut the cake into squares and serve.

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)

Romanian Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

It’s been a long while since the last time I made it home to Romania for Christmas.  And the funny thing – I was really impressed with how things improved; the city was lively and joyous during the holiday season dotted with bright lights, ornate Christmas trees and open markets where vendors were eager to entertain and sell their goodies to the hungry and curious crowds.  Without a doubt, there was a delicious excess of options – everything from hot mulled wine, traditional offal concoctions and deep fried flatbreads slathered with fat dollops of sour cream, cheese and garlic, to a wide assortment of cookies, candies, homemade fudge and other Christmas breads and cakes we simply can’t live without.  Overabundance is an understatement and I welcomed it with open arms because we, Romanians, never shy away from a big feast whether at home or on the city streets!  

The same can be said about the bonanza of extravagant options on my grandmother’s dessert Christmas table.  But among the usual suspects of cookies and homemade pretzels, buttercream-covered cakes stood front and center.  And one of them was this grand Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting.

This is not your regular coffee cake to be enjoyed with a nice cup of coffee or tea.  This cake is the coffee.  It’s so intense and loaded with coffee that paired with coffee would feel redundant and overdone.  This Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting will overshadow all the coffee cakes you’ve ever made; because this is a cake of layers of coffee upon layers of more coffee, upon layers of cocoa and more chocolate.  I can easily say this coffee cake is in a league of its own and a single bite will give you that invigorating boost of espresso that you didn’t know you wanted but so desperately needed. 

The cake is refined, moist, laced with coffee and spiked with rum.  The frosting is firstly cooked into submission until it becomes pleasantly thick and velvety with a cafe au lait hue and deep coffee aroma; then it’s gently whipped with my favorite ingredient – butter – and speckled with toasted walnuts that only add a charming texture to the already assertive flavor.  And you can never have too much chocolate because the rich chocolate ganache drizzled on top completes this spectacle of a cake.  Enjoy!  

Romanian Coffee Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting

By Simply Romanesco inspired by my Grandma Vicki

Makes: 24 squares

Ingredients for the batter:

·         8 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

·         240 grams sugar

·         120 grams all-purpose flour

·         2 teaspoons baking powder

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         25 grams ground coffee

·         25 grams unsweetened cocoa powder

Ingredients for the Rum Syrup:

·         ½ cup sugar

·         ½ cup water

·         ¼ cup rum

Ingredients for the coffee buttercream frosting:

·         4 large eggs, at room temperature

·         240 grams sugar

·         14 grams instant coffee crystals

·         300 grams butter, at room temperature

·         50 grams roasted walnuts, coarsely chopped

Ingredients for the chocolate ganache:

·         170 grams (6 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips

·         2/3 cups heavy cream

·         1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions for the batter:

Preheat the oven to 375°F.  Coat the bottom and sides of a 14 x10 x 2-inch baking pan with butter and flour.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, coffee grounds and cocoa powder.  Set aside. 

Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. 

In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with the sugar using an electric hand mixer.  Gradually, add the flour mixture. 

In a large bowl, beat the egg white until medium-firm peaks form.  In batches, gently fold the egg whites into the batter.  Continue to fold and gently stir until the batter thins out. 

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool completely in the pan on a rack.  

Instructions for the Rum Syrup:

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar and water and whisk until the sugar dissolves.  Off heat, add the rum, whisk well and set aside to cool completely.  Once the cake has cooled, pierce the surface with a fork.  Using a spoon, drizzle the syrup all over the top of the cake.  You will use more than half of the syrup.  However, you want the cake to be moist but not overly damp.  Just discard the remaining of the syrup.  Allow the cake to sit and absorb the syrup, about 1 hour.    

Instructions for the coffee buttercream frosting:

In a medium heat-proof bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar for 2-3 minutes.  Put the bowl on top of a pan of simmering water, making sure that the base of the bowl doesn’t come in contact with the water.  Gently beat the eggs and sugar mixture with a whisk until it thickens and looks like a thick cream, about 25-30 minutes.  Add the instant coffee crystals, mix well and cook the cream for 2-3 minutes longer.  Set aside to cool completely, stirring occasionally. 

In a large bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes.  Slowly and in batches, add the coffee cream and beat on medium-low speed, scrapping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy.  Don’t whip!  Gently fold in the walnut pieces.  

With a knife or offset spatula, evenly spread the frosting over the cake.  

Instructions for the Chocolate Ganache:

Place the chocolate chips in a medium bowl and set aside.  Combine the heavy cream and vanilla extract in a small saucepan over medium-low heat.  Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream.  Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate chips.  Using a fork or a spoon, gently stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  

Drizzle the chocolate ganache all over the cake.  Allow the ganache to harden.  Cut the cake into squares and serve. 

Poftă Bună! (Bon Appétit!)