Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

I arrived home at lunchtime the other day to a house filled with the scent of these beautiful little snack cakes fresh from the oven that Spouse had just baked. I enjoyed one still warm with a coffee at lunchtime as a delicious little mid-day treat. The household teens gobbled up the rest of them and I was barely able to salvage a few to take a photo later in the day.

We experiment quite a bit with banana snack cakes and muffins to create new ways to use up the never ending supply of over-ripe bananas on the counter-top. I'm beginning to think the kids are not eating them because they know if left behind, some delicious snack cakes or muffins will be coming. These were a very tasty example of one of those experiments and although I knew the pecans would work well, I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed the chopped apricots and Chinese five spice  in these. They are well worth a try for a mid-week easy baking project to add to lunchboxes and brown bag lunches or to enjoy as after school snacks.

Makes 12 to 18 depending on size of pans or if using muffin tins.

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp  Chinese five spice powder (or substitute cinnamon)
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest, finely minced
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and oil in a bowl. Add eggs, mashed banana and orange zest.

Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with orange juice.

Fold in apricots and pecans.

Bake in greased and floured mini loaf pans or in paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffin sized cakes will take only about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't over bake.

Apricot Pecan Banana Crinkle Cakes

I arrived home at lunchtime the other day to a house filled with the scent of these beautiful little snack cakes fresh from the oven that Spouse had just baked. I enjoyed one still warm with a coffee at lunchtime as a delicious little mid-day treat. The household teens gobbled up the rest of them and I was barely able to salvage a few to take a photo later in the day.

We experiment quite a bit with banana snack cakes and muffins to create new ways to use up the never ending supply of over-ripe bananas on the counter-top. I'm beginning to think the kids are not eating them because they know if left behind, some delicious snack cakes or muffins will be coming. These were a very tasty example of one of those experiments and although I knew the pecans would work well, I was a little surprised at how much I enjoyed the chopped apricots and Chinese five spice  in these. They are well worth a try for a mid-week easy baking project to add to lunchboxes and brown bag lunches or to enjoy as after school snacks.

Makes 12 to 18 depending on size of pans or if using muffin tins.

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tsp  Chinese five spice powder (or substitute cinnamon)
• ¼ cup orange juice
• 1 tsp orange zest, finely minced
• 3/4 cup chopped dried apricots
• 1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat sugar and oil in a bowl. Add eggs, mashed banana and orange zest.

Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with orange juice.

Fold in apricots and pecans.

Bake in greased and floured mini loaf pans or in paper lined muffin tins. Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Muffin sized cakes will take only about 15 to 20 minutes. Watch them carefully so they don't over bake.