Banana Coffee Cake with Chia, Hemp and Flax

Why is coffee cake so delicious?

Is it because it comes alongside a mug of coffee or cup of tea? Is it the light, fluffy cake, or the crunchy sugary topping? Is it subtle spice, or sticky glaze?

Yes. Yes to all of those. Coffee cake is one of those treats that is always good, always appreciated, and always devoured. And because it tastes so good, you can sneak a bunch of healthy ingredients in there, too! You know… if you felt so inclined.

My naturopath encouraged me to use chia, flax and hemp seeds (PowerSeeds) in baking, salads, smoothies and oatmeal, and since they lend a nutty flavour, I thought they would be pretty tasty in this coffee cake. If you don’t have/want to use the seeds, that’s fine – just add an additional 1/4 cup of flour to the recipe.

Banana Coffee Cake (with PowerSeeds)

1 cup cream cheese (low fat or regular)
1/2 cup butter OR coconut oil
1 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups ripe mashed bananas (about 3 large)
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour (white or whole wheat)
1 tbsp chia seeds
1 tbsp hemp hearts
2 tbsp ground flax seeds
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

Spice Glaze:
1/4 cup cream cheese (melted)
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
splash of vanilla or maple extract

In the bowl of a mixer, cream together butter, cream cheese and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and mashed bananas. In a separate bowl, stir together flour, chia, hemp, flax, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix into the wet ingredients until incorporated well (but don’t beat/overmix).

Pour into a greased and floured bundt pan, or a greased 9×12 baking tin. The baking times will vary greatly for these two pans; the bundt will take about 60 minutes at 350 degrees, and the baking tin will take about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. The cake is ready when a toothpick comes out clean.

Whisk together the glaze ingredients, adding more powdered sugar if the glaze is too thin. Pour over the top of the cake, and let sit until it hardens. Serve with coffee, tea, or hiding in the kitchen so you don’t have to share.

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Banana Coffee Cake with Chia, Hemp and Flax