Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake + Giveaway!

Everyone loves a good breakfast cake, I mean really, who doesn't like cake for breakfast?  The recipe for todays cake, Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake, can be found in Lick the Bowl Good, a new cookbook by blogger extraordinaire Monica Holland, who also has a blog by the same name. I have followed Monica's blog for quite a while, so I was excited to hear that she was writing a cookbook. Lick the Bowl Good is just as amazing as her blog. I love that the recipes are accompanied by photos - gorgeous ones too. The recipes are familiar, and very do-able, but have a little twist that makes you want to keep working your way through the book to the next yummy recipe.

I made the Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake a couple of days ago and it just disappeared off the plate in record time. I've had other banana cakes before, but there is something special about this recipe.  Family members were giving each other accusing looks as they tried to figure out who had more pieces than someone else, and how they were going to split that last piece into six even pieces. Calming everyone down I explained and could buy more bananas and make another one, although the next time I will definitely make two so I get more than one piece before it is gone.

A group of us were so excited about getting the book, that a Facebook Group, Baking Through Lick the Bowl Good, was formed and we will baking one recipe on the 15th of each month. Some people will post via their blogs, some will post on Facebook, and everyone is invited to come and check it out. Of course I will be baking other recipes from the book too.  It got to the point that I stopped putting sticky notes in the book because there was one on every page, and I recommend that you visit Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Jessica's Biscuit/ecookbooks or your neighborhood bookstore and pick up a copy as soon as possible.

And now to the giveaway.  A few weeks ago I was very lucky and won a copy of Lick the Bowl Good from the author herself, along with some other goodies.  Since I had already purchased the book in preparation to start baking from it, I found myself with an extra brand-new copy.  It seemed like the perfect idea to pay it forward and have a giveaway for the book.  Since we are all still catching our breath from the busy holiday season I am going to make this giveaway super simple to enter - just visit Monica's blog Lick the Bowl Good and leave me a comment telling me what recipe you would like to make from it and I will enter you in the draw.

The Fine Print

• Leave me a comment as per the instruction above.
• Deadline for entry is January 22, 2014 at 6:00PM HST.
• Sorry, this giveaway is open only to US addresses.
• Please leave a valid email address where I can contact you if you choose to publish anonymously.
• One winner will be chosen at random using Random.org. I will send the winner an email, and they will have 48 hours to respond, if I do not hear by then another winner will be selected.
• The winner will receive a copy of Lick the Bowl Good by Monica Holland
• The prize for this giveaway to one of my readers is being provided by me. I was not compensated personally for this post.

Good luck everyone!

We have a winner!  Congratulations to Holly who is the winner of Lick the Bowl Good.  I hope you enjoy the book and it will be in the mail tomorrow.

For another amazing idea for this cake please visit my friend Kim at Ninja Baker  - her Banana Pecan Breakfast Cupcakes would certainly make me eager for breakfast in the morning!


Banana Pecan Breakfast Cake
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients
Cake ~

• 1½ cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ teaspoon baking powder
• ¾ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ ground cinnamon
• ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• ¼ buttermilk

Pecan Topping ~

• ¼ cup brown sugar, packed
• ⅓ cup chopped pecans
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation
Cake ~

1. Preheat oven to 350℉
2. Grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick spray and set aside
3. In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon and whisk to combine.
4. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, vanilla, and mashed banana and blend till incorporated.
6. Add half of the flour mixture to the banana mixture and mix until just combined. Stir in all of the buttermilk and mix until just incorporated, then add the remaining flour and mix once again until no traces of flour remain.
7. Scrape the batter into the prepared baking dish and smooth the top.

Topping ~

1. Combine the sugar, pecans, and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Stir together, then evenly sprinkle the mixture over the cake batter.
2. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
3. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
4. Store at room temperature.

Recipe from Lick the Bowl Good by Monica Holland/Skyhorse Publishing, Inc.

Malasada Bread Pudding - and my 100th Post Giveaway!

Malasadas just seem to call my name. I know that they are not good for me but I am helpless to resist.  Here in Hawaii these little bundles of yeasty goodness are rolled in plain sugar, cinnamon sugar, or li hing sugar.  They are also available filled with coconut (haupia) custard, chocolate custard, vanilla custard, or the flavor of the month - which at the moment is banana custard.  I like mine plain and rolled in regular (white) sugar and my favorites come from Leonard's Bakery on Kapahulu Avenue, just a short drive from Waikiki.  In Hawaii Shrove Tuesday is known as Malasada Tuesday and sales more than triple on this day.  They are also a staple at school fairs, and some schools are quite famous for their individual recipes.

Malasadas are also know as Portuguese donuts. They are made from a yeast dough, have no hole in the middle, and are deep-fried in oil. Tradionally they are rolled in granulated sugar, but variety is the spice of life and there are many different routes you can go with these. They are at their most delicious whilst fresh and still hot.  On the rare occasion when you have leftovers, do what I do and make Malasada Bread Pudding.  I based my recipe on one that I found here, but I do not put in any raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate and I make my custard with a combination of cream and milk.  I really would love to try making Malasadas myself.  I have a few different recipes that I can try, so when I find one I like I will post about it.  Until then I will keep lining up at Leonard's for my treats.  If you do not have somewhere nearby that sells malasada's then you can definitely make this recipe using regular sugar donuts.


And a Giveaway!
As this is my 100th post I wanted it to be something special.  On my recent visit to Australia I purchased a few items that I thought would make a fun giveaway and also give the winner a little taste of Australia.  The items I am including are:

1x190g bar of Cadbury Crunchie Dairy Milk Chocolate
1x150g jar of Vegemite
1x52g bar Cherry Ripe
1x200g packet of Buderim Naked (uncrystallized) Ginger
1x165g packet Tim Tams - Dark Chocolate Mint
1x175g packet Tim Tams - Dark Chocolate Rum & Raisin
1x200g tin Milo
1x200g packet Minties
1x350g Foster Clark's Custard Powder
1x85g packet Aeroplane Jelly - Port Wine Flavor
Delicious magazine - June 2011
Australian Good Food magazine - June 2011 issue

I really appreciate everyone who takes the time to read my blog, leaves me comments, and sends me emails but since this giveaway is sponsored just by me I have to limit it to the United States only.  I promise I will try to do an international giveaway soon with similar items.  To enter the giveaway simply leave me a comment.  Of course I would love if you started following my blog or liked me on Facebook, but this is more about me saying thank you, so leave me a comment and you are in the draw.  I will close the entries at 9:00pm on Friday, May 20.  I am using the number generator at Random.org to choose a winner, and I will have the box in the mail the next morning.

We have a winner!
The winner of the box of goodies from Australia - as well as a couple of bonus items from Hawaii - was The Kitchenarian.  Congratulations!  Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by my blog.  As previously mentioned I will try and do another giveaway in a few months with either Hawaiian or Aussie goodies and this one will be worldwide.


Malasada Bread Pudding
(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients

• 6 day-old malasadas
• ½ cup raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips (optional)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 cup whipping cream
• ½ cup white sugar, plus more to sprinkle
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I used vanilla bean paste)
• a pinch of nutmeg, plus more to sprinkle

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Break malasadas into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan or individual ramekins. 
3. Sprinkle with raisins, dried cranberries, or chocolate chips (optional).
4. In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs, add cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. 
5. Add milk, sugar, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until malasadas are covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
6. Sprinkle with additional sugar and nutmeg.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

Based an a recipe found here.