Banana Cream Cheese Breakfast Cakes

Back in my high school days, my house was a pretty cool house to hang out at. We had live bands pretty much 4 out of 7 nights of the week, people we’re always over, and times were more good then bad. Music was always a large part of my life. I can remember my mom blasting Pearl Jam in her Ford Crown Victoria and singing at the top of her lungs. And at my dad’s house, the volume was always on as load as it could be until the neighbors complained.

So, it only seemed proper that I give my dad two tickets to an upcoming show by Rush. Little did I know how happy it would make him. Sure, I expected it to ‘get him’ (we are serious gift givers – not big or expensive, just things that you know mean a lot) but I didn’t know that two days later I would answer the phone 4 times in one night to a very excited poppa smurf on the other line.

My dad has seen Rush something like a dozen times, but I have yet to go. Dad decided the perfect way to use his tickets would be to go with me – he even dug out his classic denim jacket with the Rush logo embroidered across the back. We are going to make a few days of it and have some bonding time. Get ready for a Rush concert countdown. 😉

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Banana Cream Cheese Breakfast Cakes

from Food Network Magazine May 2012

If you have some ripe bananas and cream cheese and are looking for quick and easy muffins – these are not it. Good, yes. Quick and painless. No.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 8 ozs cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 teas vanilla extract
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar

For the cakes:

• 1 1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons cake flour
• 1 1/2 teas baking soda
• 1/2 teas kosher salt
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tbs unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup plus 6 tbs sugar
• 2 teas vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners.

Make the filling: Beat cream cheese and vanilla until smooth in the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. About 2 minutes. Scrape out into a bowl. Clean the mixing bowl thoroughly. Using the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy. Gradually beat in the sugar. Increase the speed to high and mix until shiny, stiff peaks form, about 3 minutes.  Gently, add half of the cream cheese mixture in and meat until just combined. Add the remaining cream cheese and beat until smooth.  Place filling in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip; set aside.

Make the cakes: Mix together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

Clean out the mixer again. Using the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Beat in the mashed bananas until just combined. Carefully mix in half the flour mixture until just combined. Fold in the remaining flour until just combined being careful not to overmix.

Divide the batter among the prepared muffin tins. Insert the pastry tip halfway into each muffin and pipe 1 tbs of filling into the middle of the batter, filling each to about three quarters of the way full.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake (not the filling) comes out clean, 20 to 35 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and let cool 15 minutes. Turn out the cakes to the rack to cool completely before serving.

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