Jacked Up Banana Bread & Spiced Apple Sauce Cake

After some good travel catch-up yesterday, here are a few new recipes I tried last week:

Jacked Up Banana Bread

Modified, with lots of love, from SmittenKitchen

3 to 4 ripe bananas, smashed I used 2 because that's all I had. I augmented the lack of banana's with a half a cup of apple sauce left over from my spice cake.

1/3 cup melted salted butter I read this wrong and only used 1/2 a cube (4 tablespoons)... I highly recommend using the correct amount. 

3/4 to 1 cup light brown sugar I used 3/4 but would have preffered it sweeter. I recommend 1 cup. 

1 egg, beaten I used 2 because that's what my usual recipe calls for. 

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon bourbon

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

Pinch of ground cloves

1 1/2 cup of flour I split this half and half whole wheat flour and all purpose. 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. With a wooden spoon, mix butter into the mashed bananas in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the sugar, egg, vanilla and bourbon, then the spices. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour last, mix. Pour mixture into a buttered 4×8 inch loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes to one hour, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve. 

If you are sensing a theme with where I get my recipes, you are correct. I am having a love affair with Smitten Kitchen. Although it has not quite achieved the same depths of love I have for Joy of Cooking. You just can't go wrong there!

Spiced Applesauce Cake

Modified, only slightly this time but also with love, from Smitten Kitchen

This cake came together in a cinch and with a lovely thick layer of cream cheese frosting was quite lovely. That said, I wanted a bit more punch from the spices. It came across as a very lightly flavored cake (both on the apple sauce and spice front). Therefore, I would encourage you to add more of both or perhaps chopped apples to get that good apple spice flavor. 

For cake

2 cups all-purpose flour Again, I split 50/50 with whole wheat and all purpose flour.

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon I recommend 1 tablespoon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger I recommend 1 teaspoon

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves I recommend 1/4 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon nutmug

1 stick  unsalted butter, softened

1 cup packed light brown sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 cup chopped apples, any variety (approximately 1 apple)

1/2 cup walnuts (optional), toasted, cooled, and chopped

For frosting

5 ounces cream cheese, softened Really, who is going to only use 2/3 of a cream cheese box. Induldge and just use the whole thing!

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup confectioners sugar

1/2 (1 teaspoon) teaspoon cinnamon I completely forgot to use this. I bet it would be delightful. Also, perhaps Maple Syrup extract?

Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter or spray with non-stick cooking spray a 8- or 9-inch square cake pan.

Make cake: Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce. At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in apples and walnuts (if using). The batter will look a little curdly and uneven but don’t worry, it will all bake up perfectly in the end.

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. 

Make frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated. Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.