Banana Poppyseed Bundt Cake

If you are a banana bread lover, you need to try this delicious cake-ified version with poppy seeds, decadent cream cheese frosting, and chopped pecans!

When I eat cake, most of the time, I prefer it not to be super light and airy.  Which may be why I’ve never been a huge fan of angel food cake and boxed cake mixes.  I just crave substance in my desserts.  I want to feel like I’ve eaten something when I’m done.  It’s got to be worth the calories full tummy and satisfaction-wise.  🙂

Which is why I set out to make a dense, not crumbly, and make-you-content cake that resembles a favorite banana loaf treat.

The results are mind-blowingly amazing!  I took this to a baby shower where it received rave reviews from all the ladies!  I had to send the meager leftovers home with a friend before I ate them all by myself in the car on the way home! 🙂{BANANA POPPYSEED BUNDT CAKE}
Adapted from Allrecipes

1/2 c. butter, softened
1/4 c. canola oil
2 c. white sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. poppy seeds
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Frosting:
1/2 c. butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
4 1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 c. chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit (the low temperature helps keep the cake from getting dry).  Grease and flour a 10″ bundt cake pan.  Mash bananas and stir in lemon juice and poppy seeds.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together butter, canola oil and sugar. Add eggs, mix, then add vanilla. Mix just until combined.  In a separate bowl, stir together flour, baking soda and salt.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately while mixing.  Scrape sides to make sure everything is well incorporated.  Stir in banana mixture by hand just until incorporated.

**If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make your own sour milk for this recipe by stirring together 1 1/2 Tbsp. white vinegar with 1 1/2 c. milk and letting it sit for at least 5 minutes.  I like to do this step first.

Pour about 3/4 of the mixture into the prepared 10″ bundt cake pan.  Save the rest and make cupcakes! Bake for about 1 hour and 5 minutes, or just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Don’t over bake or it’ll be dry! Let cool in the bunt pan for about 20 minutes (it should start pulling away from the sides), then carefully remove it and place it on a cooling rack.  I ran a knife around the edges to loosen it.  Let cool completely, then make frosting by creaming together butter, cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Frost the cake (saving enough icing for the cupcakes), then sprinkle with chopped pecans.

**I was able to make 12 cupcakes with the remaining batter and baked them at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 17 minutes.

My sister’s been taunting me with texts of her banana cupcakes with cream cheese icing over the past few weeks.  It’s been a favored confection at her house as of late. So I’ve of course had a hankering for it ever since that first message (thanks a lot, Melissa!).

But it urged me to put together this beauty, so I really am appreciative.  I take back all the sarcasm.

I’d say 80% of our communication subject matters involve food (specifically treats) in some way.  We’ve obviously inherited the genetic sweet tooth. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t tempted so much by sugar, but then I wouldn’t get to enjoy things like this, so I revoke that wish immediately. 🙂

What gives me more reason to love this recipe is that it makes enough for a bundt cake plus about a dozen cupcakes to boot!  So you can take the impressive-looking cake to an event plus let the kids enjoy some individually-wrapped, frosted delights at home so they don’t feel left out.  :)It’s slow baked in a low temperature oven to lock in moisture and for irresistible flavor! Trust me, this cake is worth the wait!

The tantalizing banana flavor combined with the over-the-top wickedly good icing and crunchy chopped nuts will leave you wanting for more!  I dare you to be able to eat just one piece!  If you can, you’ve got lots more self control than I do!