Banana Java Spice Swirled Coffeecake

You know what’s really boring? Banana bread. That you made because you have 3 rotting bananas on the kitchen counter. Again. Even though you bought those bananas when they were so green they glowed in the dark and you were convinced that they’d get eaten in enough time instead of sitting a lonely black eyesore next to the fruit basket, upstaging the heirloom tomatoes.

You know what ISN’T boring? That same banana bread, baked for the same reasons as stated above, in a bundt pan. Nope, that automatically becomes a coffee cake. Jazz hands, optional.

It’s also bisected by a cinnamon coffee swirl and finished with a similarly flavored glaze that has been eloquently drizzled along this cake’s voluptuous crown, ending in articulate rivulets on your plate.

Who could argue with glazy rivulets of icing? Not this girl. Particularly because they’re articulate and thus certain to outwit me.

This bundt is brilliant, that’s for sure. Can I get an amen? Or at least put that phrase on a bumper sticker. I’d buy it and let everyone else guess the euphemism and giggle lavishly because there’s no euphemism. I’m talking about an honest-to-goddess bundt cake!

You may want to buy some bright green bananas today, so you have rotten bananas in time for this weekend, and you have a beautiful Banana Java Spice Swirled Coffeecake in time for mother’s day. Your family will think that you’re brilliant and they’ll finally be able to rest easy. And thank goodness. Because some years – it’s been a little touch and go.

Banana Java Spice Swirled Coffeecake

1 1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 egg, beaten
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 plus 1 tablespoon cup agave syrup,
1/2 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon instant coffee
3 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan.

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

In a large bowl, mash the bananas until no chunks remain. Whisk in the egg, oil, maple syrup, 1/3 cup agave syrup, 1/2 cup milk and 1 tablespoon vanilla.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until well combined. Remove 1 cup of the batter to a small bowl. To this batter, add 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon agave, and 1 teaspoon instant coffee. Stir until well combined.

Spread 1/2 of the banana batter into the bundt pan. Spoon all of the cinnamon batter evenly over the banana batter. Top the cinnamon batter with the remainder of the banana batter. Bake 35-45 minutes, until a cake tester comes out dry. Allow the cake to cool completely before removing it from the pan and finishing it with the glaze.

To make the glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, 3/4 teaspoon instant coffee, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 3 tablespoons milk until smooth. Pour the glaze over top of the cake and allow the excess to drip down the sides.

Serves 10-12