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It’s true—banana Bundt cakes are classic. I agree with Dorie Greenspan on that one. Growing up, my mom would make a Hummingbird Cake (banana and crushed pineapple) in that classic Bundt pan. It was her go-to cake for every occasion… although as children, we longed only for a boxed cake mix cake, with frosting straight from a tub. Clearly, there is a reason the banana cake became a classic, and it’s too bad little palates sometimes miss that!

Dorie’s Classic Banana Bundt Cake was truly delicious. But it almost wasn’t—the instant I sprinkled the second teaspoon of baking powder, and not the required baking soda, I cringed. Could I salvage the cake? I know that baking powder consists of baking soda, so I doubled the amount of baking powder in the hopes that four teaspoons of powder would contain two teaspoons of soda. And it worked—the cake rose perfectly. It was extremely moist on the inside—so much so that it almost melted on my tongue. It wasn’t too dense, but it wasn’t fluffy either. It had a great texture, and I loved the pure banana flavor.

So if I thought Dorie’s Classic Banana Bundt Cake was so classic, why’d I go and play around with it? Well for starters, I didn’t really alter the cake itself. Sure, I used baking powder instead of baking soda, and yes, I used some whole wheat flour too. Oh, and I made 14 mini Bundts instead of one large one. But the addition of the candied pecans and rum icing were more like enhancements, not alterations, to the original recipe. And boy were they good.

The reason I added the pecans was because, well, how should I say this? Every time I make a Bundt cake, I always feel sorry for the hole in the middle. Does that make any sense at all? It’s like there’s something missing in the cake. And it’s like the hole is just begging to be filled with some great complementary flavor or texture. When I first saw this cake in the August lineup, I spent a few days wondering what I should make to dress the middle of the cake up. I thought, perhaps thick pudding? Or some kind of crumb topping? In the end, I went with candied pecans because 1, I love nuts, 2, pecans go fabulously with banana bread/cake and 3, the candy coating gave a nice crunch that contrasted with, but also complemented, the tender cake.

And the icing? While I do love lemon icing, I think of rum and bananas as being best friends. And with the pecans, I thought the three flavors would be perfect.

Thanks for picking a delicious dessert, Mary! You can see Dorie’s original recipe on Mary’s blog, The Food Librarian. You can see my version—with the baking powder, not baking soda!—below.

Recipe: Classic Banana Bundt Cake
Adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan
Serves 14

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks (8 ounces) Smart Balance 50/50 Butter Blend, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups turbinado sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup Egg Beaters, at room temperature
• 1 3/4 cups mashed very ripe bananas
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Center a rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 9 to 10-inch (12 cup) bundt pan.

Whisk flour, baking soda and salt together in medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce speed to low and mix in bananas. Finally, mix in half of the dry ingredients (don’t be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to de-bubble the batter and smooth the top.

Bake 65 to 75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes- if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature.

If you’ve got time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit on the counter overnight before serving- it’s better the next day.

RUM ICING
Sift 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar into a bowl and add in enough dark rum (start with 2 teaspoons and add more by drops) to make an icing thin enough to drizzle down the Bundt’s curves.

Recipe: Candied Pecans
From Epicurious

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons water
• Pinch of cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup pecan halves (about 3 ounces)

Line baking sheet with foil; spray with nonstick spray. Combine sugar, 2 tablespoons water, and cream of tartar in heavy small saucepan. Stir over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil without stirring until syrup is deep amber color, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with pastry brush dipped in water and swirling pan, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately stir in pecans. Quickly pour mixture out onto prepared baking sheet. Working quickly and using 2 forks, separate pecans into individual halves. Cool completely. Break candied pecans apart, leaving each pecan half intact with some candied caramel attached. (Can be made 1 week ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.)