Seasonal Affective Baking Disorder

I diagnosed myself with Seasonal Affective Baking Disorder. Cookies & cakes are on the short list of things that cheer me up when it's this nasty and cold out (and in. Apartment's freezing). Roommate's theory is that using the oven warms the place up; right-o, definitely, but there's also something rather compulsive about it.

I bought ten brown bananas from the corner store and tried out three recipes. The Banana Coconut Cake & the Banana Coconut Bread are from Orangette, and the Cream Cheese Banana Bread comes from my college friend Kat.


Banana Coconut Cake

For the cake:
1 stick (4 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
¾ cup puréed very ripe bananas
¼ cup sour cream
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

For the frosting:
3 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
3 Tbs well-stirred canned cream of coconut (I used Coco Lopez brand); not coconut milk
1 tsp dark rum
1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Place a rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Lightly butter or spray a 9-inch round cake pan (I used a springform pan), and dust it with flour, shaking out any excess.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of stand mixer, or in a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and brown sugar on high speed until pale and fluffy, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the egg, and beat until well combined. Add the banana purée, sour cream, and vanilla, and beat to combine well. Reduce the speed to low, and add the flour mixture, mixing until just combined. Do not overmix. (I found that it was best to beat in the flour only a little, and to finish mixing it by hand, with a rubber spatula.)

Spread the batter in the prepared cake pan, and bake until the top is pale golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 20-27 minutes.

Cool the cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge of the pan; then invert the rack over the cake and invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely. (Alternatively, if you are using a springform pan, simply remove the sides and leave the cake on the rack to cool.)

While the cake cools, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and the butter on medium speed until smooth. Reduce the speed to low; then add the confectioners sugar, cream of coconut, and rum. Mix until combined; then increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about two minutes.

Spread over the top of the thoroughly cooled cake, and sprinkle evenly with coconut.

I got a very enthusiastic response with this cake. I thought the texture & taste were awesome, but I wasn't excited about how the rum-flavor in the icing was very strong and overshadowed the banananess of the cake.

Banana-Coconut Bread

Adapted from HomeBaking: The Artful Mix of Flour and Tradition around the World, by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid

About 3 large, overripe bananas
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp distilled white vinegar
1 ½ Tbsp. dark rum
½ cup dried shredded unsweetened coconut
1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter a standard-size loaf pan.

In a blender or food processor, purée the bananas. Measure out 1 ½ cups of purée and set aside

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowlbeat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vinegar and rum, and beat to mix well. Add the banana purée and the flour mixture alternately, about 1 cup at a time, beginning with the banana and beating to just incorporate. Use a spatula to fold in any flour that has not been absorbed, and stir in the coconut. Do not overmix.

Scrape the batter – it will be thick – into the prepared pan. Smooth the top, and sprinkle evenly with the dark brown sugar. Bake for 50-65 minutes, or until the top is nicely browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a wire rack for about 20 minutes; then turn the loaf out of the pan and allow it to cool completely.

Heavenly. Rich, moist, and flavorful. I bet it would make great muffins.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread

1 stick room-temp unsalted butter
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup very riped mashed bananas
1/2 cup cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.

Cream butter and sugar and then add eggs. Combine dry ingredients, then add to the creamed butter-sugar-eggs. Add the bananas, cream cheese, and vanilla. Pour into pan and bake approximately 1 hour, until the tester comes out clean.

Magnificent. The cream cheese gives the banana bread a sharp little kick. This is best toasted with butter. I'll keep puttering about with banana cakes, but this might be the only banana bread recipe I need.

Ultimately, the only problem is that I've got almost a full can of Cream of Coconut left over. I found some attractive dessert recipes -- Coconut Cream Pie from About.com, Coconut Cream Pie from Cooking Light, Spiced Coconut Loaf, and Coconut Tart from Epicurious (*NB: there are some fixes in the comments), but I really don't need any more desserts in my fridge/life/belly (honestly, sometimes I forget somebody's got to eat I bake). I'm thinking Coconut Curry Sauce, and Thai Curry, Chicken Wings Africana from Epicurious. ETA: I didn't have time to try anything & ended up tossing it. Was also dubious of cream of coconut in entrees, and clearly didn't need anymore desserts in the house.

On a different note, I started watching the Melrose Place Season 1 DVDs. I wasn't aware of the show when it was on, but I love me some Darren Star (Grosse Point!) & some 90's fashion & some crazy. The pilot left me hoping still waters run deep. Courtney Thorne-Smith is so chipmunky & bland, and there's no way she can carry a show. There's going to be a Billy plot line and a sexual harrassment plot line, I assume; I've got to say, I rolled my eyes at Andrew Shue but he really brought it when that skeeze was getting inappropriate with CTS. Boyish but intense is captivating combination. I love how shamelessly they have him lounge around in tiny little boxer shorts. Tiny! So tiny! I also dig his goofy dancing-with-the-mop scenes. Goofy is hot. I'm already starting to like Billy, and he's going to be wasted on the CTS? I hope not. I also totally dig Rhonda; her heart is on her sleeve! She doesn't seem to know where aerobics outfits end and evening wear starts! She's got a gay BFF! She's just so earnest (though how evil does she look when she peers out of her curtains on the courtyard). Sandy's funny, but I've never heard of the actress so I'm guessing she remained one dimensional (or didn't get to do the really crazy stuff). Jake is gross (and Kelly Taylor has the tiniest little mouse eyes!). The married couple seems like they're going to explode; Josie Bissett's oddly hot with her bowl cut. I think I'm going to get really into this.