Blueberry Banana Mascarpone Coffee Cake

This recipe was the grand prize winner for the Banana-Blueberry category in the Blueberries Meet their Match recip contest!

Today we hosted a potluck brunch for Ben's baby dedication. We held it at our house with many of our family and close friends. It's such a special time for our family (we did the same thing for Jackson). 

For my contribution to the celebration I wanted to make something special. I've also had another idea for a recipe entry for the Blueberries Meet Their Match contest. (See my first entry here.) The challenge is to pair blueberries with a flavor that is outside of their usual "box". This time, I'm combining blueberries with bananas in a delicious, not-too-sweet coffee cake for breakfast. Bananas and blueberries are an unexpected flavor combination but it works beautifully! I've also wanted to work with mascarpone cheese, a less tangy Italian cream cheese commonly used in tiramisu, that is found in most grocery stores. This seemed like a good time to try it because I wanted to add a cheese danish element to my cake. If you can't find mascarpone, just use the same amount of (reduced fat) cream cheese. 

The end result is a coffee cake that tastes like what would happen if banana bread, cheese danish, and blueberry pancakes all got together (but healthed-up a little). It's the perfect combination of flavors, moistness, and just the right amount of sweetness. This cake bakes for about an hour which gives it slightly crunchy edges and a super moist center. Oh, and of course, being filled with blueberries and bananas adds great nutritional value and fiber. It's a winner in every way. 

Enjoy!

 

 

 

Blueberry Banana Mascarpone Coffee Cake

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick), softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 cup mashed bananas (from 2 bananas)

1 teaspoon plus 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

2 eggs

2 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoons salt

1 cup low fat buttermilk

2 heaping cups fresh or frozen blueberries

8 oz mascarpone cheese*, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick baking spray. 
2. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together for about 4 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in the honey and mashed bananas and mix until combined. Next, add eggs and 1 teaspoon of vanilla and mix thoroughly. 
3. In a seperate bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
4. Alternate adding dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients in 3 increments. 
5. Fold in blueberries to batter. Pour batter into pan and set aside.
6. In a mixing bowl, whip mascarpone, powdered sugar and vanilla together until well combined. Drop mascarpone mixture in spoonfuls over batter. Drag a knife through the batter to spread out the mascarpone.    
   
   
7. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and cover with tin foil. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake for 30 more minutes or until a knife inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool and cut in to squares to serve.

*Cream cheese can be substituted for mascarpone cheese.

Disclosure: By posting this recipe I am entering a contest sponsored by the US Highbush Blueberry Council and am eligible to win prizes. I was not compensated for my time or supplies. All opinions are my own. 

Comments

[Fresh Food Perspectives]

Thanks Mari. I'm so glad your family enjoyed it.

[Maribeth Leonard Hartmann]

This coffee cake is AWESOME! I love the new combinations-very fresh and different. It was a hit with the whole family- from my 5 year old to the 1 year old.. Thanks for coming up with it Jenna!