Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2014. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

We are a baking group of bloggers and bakers with a passion for all things delicious! Join us as we bake our way through Monica Holland's beautiful new cookbook "Lick The Bowl Good". First up is Monica's recipe for Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake (found on page 151). What a glorious way to start our journey!

Before I get into the recipe, allow me to share with you how beautiful the cover of Monica's book is. If you are a lover of food photos (like I am) you'll be completely drooling at all the mouthwatering pictures and recipes included in this book! My favorite cookbooks are the ones with pictures of every recipe, and this book has just that!

I'm especially proud to show that I also have a signed bookplate by the author herself, and I've even gotten to know and converse with Monica on several occasions on Facebook.

She is just as kind and sweet as you would expect someone who has written a "Classic Home-Style Desserts With A Twist" cookbook would be!

Thanks, Monica!!! If this first recipe is any indication of what the rest of the book holds, I can hardly wait to bake my way through the entire book! This recipe for Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake was truly incredible!!!

The only small adaptations I made were to substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar and I added some flaked coconut into the topping.

If I tempted you enough, here is the recipe and the few small adaptations I made to Monica's original!

BANANA PECAN BREAKFAST CAKE WITH COCONUT TOPPING
{PRINT THIS RECIPE}

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup overripe mashed bananas
¼ cup buttermilk
¼ cup brown sugar, packed
⅓ cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ cup flaked coconut

-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
-Spray an 8x8 inch baking pan with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
-In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon.
-In a large bowl, cream together the butter and the ¾ cup of brown sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in the egg, vanilla, and mashed bananas.
-Add half of the flour mixture into the banana mixture and blend until just combined. Do not overwork. Blend in all of the buttermilk and once combined, blend in the additional flour and blend until thoroughly mixed.
-Evenly spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.
-In a small bowl, combine the ¼ cup brown sugar, pecans, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, and the coconut. Mix to combine all the ingredients and then sprinkle evenly over the cake batter.
-Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
-Cool on a wire rack.
-Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

This cake brings me back to a cake that my mom used to make when I was a kid. And, if truth be told, that is the reason I added the coconut to the topping. Can I tell you something? This cake did not disappoint! It was marvelous!