Triple Espresso Banana Cake

If you're hosting a NYE party (or simply staying up for the countdown), staying up all night can be tough - especially after some good food and a couple glasses of Champagne! By the time dessert rolls around (or if you're like us, the just-before-midnight sweet table), you need a hit of caffeine to get you through Auld Lang Syne.

So in order to bring the buzz to the masses (and have something sweet at the same time), I made a real coffee cake packed with three hits of coffee, a dash of cinnamon and rich bananas and yoghurt. Besides all that good stuff, I also cut down the simple carbs and sugar of the recipe (inspired by Food for Friends : Homemade Gifts for Every Season by Sally Pasley Vargas) with spelt flour and a "cup-for-cup" stevia baking blend. With a drizzle of bittersweet chocolate and/or a scoop of coffee ice cream, it's a way to bring the energy, health, sweetness and spice to the New Year! 

Triple Espresso Banana Cake
Makes one 7" springform, 8 slices
3 tbsp ground flaxseed
½ cup warm water
2 oz butter, room temperature
⅓ cup brown sugar
⅓ cup "cup-for-cup" stevia baking blend
1 tbsp "coffee sugar" (ground Coffee Bean Brittle)
½ tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp Kahlua
4 ripe bananas, mashed
¼ cup almond (or canola) oil
½ cup plain homemade (or low-fat storebought) yoghurt
¾ cup flour
1 cup spelt flour
¼ cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp instant espresso powder
½ tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
⅓ cup chopped almonds
2 tsp turbinado sugar

1. Heat the oven to 325F and grease a 7” springform pan.
2. Whisk together the flaxseed and water, let stand 10 minutes.
3. Cream together the butter, brown sugar, stevia, coffee sugar and salt until well blended.
4. Add vanilla, Kahlua, bananas, oil, yogurt and flax mixture, beating well.
5. Add flours, graham cracker crumbs, espresso powder, cocoa, cinnamon, baking powder, and baking soda. 
6. Mix until just combined, then fold in almonds.
7. Scrape into the pan and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
8. Bake 55-65 minutes, until tests done.
9. Cool 30 minutes in the pan, then remove the sides of the springform and cool completely.

Amount Per Serving
Calories: 311.2
Total Fat: 9.8 g
Cholesterol: 16.6 mg
Sodium: 70.0 mg
Total Carbs: 55.3 g
Dietary Fiber: 5.3 g
Protein: 6.3 g