banana streusel coffee cake

I always buy too many bananas. I'll get the prettiest bunch at the grocery store (always tinged green... I like mine considerably unripe), but inevitably end up with more than necessary.

This past week was no exception. So what is the only acceptable thing to do with brown bananas? (I'm obviously not going to eat them, and throwing them away is wasteful.) Make banana bread. Or you know, something similar.

My search for the perfect banana bread (specifications being that they are low fat, only include ingredients that I actually own,  and have a high taste ranking) led me not to a bread recipe, but one for a banana coffee cake.

Recipe as follows:

Banana Streusel Coffee Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup oats

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 c butter, chilled and cut

1/2 + 1/2 tsp cinnamon, divided

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp soda

1 cup mashed bananas, ripe

2 eggs, beaten

1/4 cup Kahlua (optional)

Combine flours and oats. Measure out 3/4 cup into separate bowl. Add sugar. Cut in the butter and mix.  Set aside 1/2 cup of this crumb mixture to use for topping.  Add remaining crumbs to flour mix, powder, soda, and 1/2 tsp cinnamon.

Beat togther eggs, bananas, and Kahlua.  Combine wet mixture to flour.  Beat well. Pour into greased 8x8 baking dish (or 12-count muffin pan).  Sprinkle reserved butter crumbs and remaining 1/2 tsp cinnamon on top of cake.  Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (20 for muffins).

Best enjoyed with a tall glass of cold milk or some piping hot coffee. Hence the name "coffee cake."