Caroline, Chicago, IL
I tackled my first major baking project since having the baby. Wow… it took a LOT longer to get a simple cake made. Measure and sift the flour… feed the baby. Prepare pans… change the baby. You get my drift.
For people who don’t have a newborn at home, this is an easy cake that is hard to screw up. If you can make banana bread, you can make this cake! And, it is such a crowd pleaser. To tell you the truth, this is one of my top 3 recipes. I have honed it over the years and I must say, it is simply delicious. A few years ago, I planned to start an organic cake business. I tested and baked cake after cake. One night, I had visions of my first big corporate gift order and endless nights of baking the same cake over and over. Shortly after that, I opened my marketing consulting business instead – no inventory to track, get old or go bad. Coincidentally, baking has remained a passion instead of a nightmare. I do still feel a bit protective of these recipes but I suppose I will share them and some day, should I reignite the cake business dream, you will all share my secrets!
Heavenly Banana Cake
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups cake flour, sifted
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 egg + 1 yolk well beaten
1 cup ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Sift flour once. Put in a bowl with other dry ingreindents and mix them all together with a whisk. Cream butter and add sugar gradually. Add eggs and beat well. Add mashed bananas and beat again. Add flour to mixture alternately with the buttermilk, a little each time. Beat after each addition until smooth. Add vanilla and mix in. Bake in 2 greased round cake pans (or line bottom of each pan with parchment). Cakes should bake about 25 minutes. Watch them for light brown top – toothpick should come out of the center clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes then turn onto a rack to cool completely.
Cake Flour Substitute: If you find yourself without cake flour, fill the one cup measure with 2 Tbsp corn starch and then fill with regular flour
Super Special Cream Cheese Frosting
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
3 ounces cream cheese softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
1 Tablespoon sour cream
3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
Pecans or walnuts (optional – see assembly)
Beat together butter and cream cheese. Mix in next three ingredients. Add sifted powdered sugar little by little until stiff enough to frost cake.
Cake Assembly
I frost the middle and top of the cake only. Then sprinkle the top with pecans or walnuts. For me, it creates a better frosting:cake ratio and it’s easier! If you want to frost the sides too, double the frosting recipe.
May 1st, 2008 at 6:50 pm
[...] in a fairly large saucepan over low heat, melt a stick and a half of unsalted butter—the closer to home the better, and if you know the cow, even better! Stir in the chocolate bits until they’ve melted too. Turn off the heat, whisk in a heaping ¼ cup plus two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa, two cups of sugar, three large eggs, and a teaspoon and a half of vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, stir in one cup of all purpose flour. [...]
May 1st, 2008 at 10:39 pm
I absolutly love your blog. I love reading what you have to say and I really love your photos. I love the retro touch they all have. I am passing along a little blog award I received today. Its called the Blogging With A Purpose award. You can check my blog if you want to see what I said and go ahead and pass it on if you like. Thanks for the great reads! -Rachel
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:52 am
awesome looking cake…and i don’t even like bananas! also great tip about the cornstarch!
May 2nd, 2008 at 10:54 am
Wow, I think I gained 5 lbs just by looking at this cake. Ya know what, it was worth it.
I will certainly be trying this puppy out. I’m not a big maple syrup fan, but 1 tbsp seems to have a purpose and you seem to be very passionate about this tried and true recipe, so I promise not to fuss with it.
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:49 am
I made it and it is delicious!!!! I had it for breakfast, even! Thank you for sharing the recipe! This was my first banana cake ever, eating or baking.
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:04 pm
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May 5th, 2008 at 7:23 pm
thats one super bad ass bodascious cake! fluffy, dense and dreamy..
May 8th, 2008 at 5:52 am
banana bread is a favorite at our house. If I add cream cheese frosting, it will put it over the top.
May 13th, 2008 at 8:53 am
This sounds delicious. Recently, my mother-in-law gave me her secret recipe for a delightful banana cake which has a coconut topping. Needless to say, I think secret recipes are the best–thanks for sharing yours!
May 16th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
My overestimation of household banana consuption combined with the intense desire to use of every scrap of food will insure that this cake will be in my kitchen very soon. So, so tired of banana bread. Even if the cake totally blows will probably become a house standard based on the name alone. Love it!
November 25th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Thank you for the recipes…Love your banana cake. JOM
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:50 pm
I have a little bakery in Maine and we make a similar cake, but if you don’t mind, I will try out your recipe. The tag will reference you of course! Anything with maple syrup in the frosting usually flies away as quickly as it has come out of the oven!
February 4th, 2009 at 8:07 pm
I am so happy to see your post! I have been searching for the perfect cake recipe for my youngest’s birthday! He wants a monkey party , so what could be more fitting than a banana cake! I will likely make cupcakes and I love that you have a tried and true recipe for me! Thanks for sharing, it looks delish!
February 10th, 2009 at 2:20 pm
Yummy! I made your Heavenly Banana Cake last night and it is just that…Heavenly. This recipe is very easy and translates just fine to high altitude baking, in fact I made no adjustment. And per the suggestion of another’s comment, we even had it for breakfast this morning! Delicious. Thank you for sharing this.
February 16th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
Made your Heavenly Banana Cake for dessert tonight…my husband said it was the best cake he’s ever had! Yikes…gotta love that!!
Kiddos gobbled it up too. Thanks for the recipe that will surely become a staple in our home!
February 24th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
OH Wow! This cake looks really delicious and the frosting sounds like it the best cream cheese frosting ever. I will definetly be baking this cake soon. I will have to take it to work cause I’m the only one in my home that likes banana cake, and while I would love to, I don’t want to eat it by myself. Thank you for sharing.
March 19th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
You cake looks really good. I can not leave without cakes and make them almost every week. If i am tired though i usually buy cakes online (http://www.foodsoftheweb.com/cakes?C1=2373) and get them shipped to my house. So convenient : )
May 31st, 2009 at 10:40 pm
fresh brewed ice tea…
Tea Chef…
September 8th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Hi,
I made this cake this afternoon, had little more than a cup of bananas but it came it wonderfully! It is moist, flavorful and delicious right down to the last crumb!
Thank you for sharing!
September 20th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
I baked this cake for my husband’s birthday and everybody loved it especially my husband he asked me to make it again sometime.
October 17th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Oh so yummy. I had been dying to try the pumpkin cake, but got sidetracked with the banana cake. This cake is so good. I had enough frosting without doubling to lightly ice the entire cake. My family loved it. I started the meal with a New Mexico style pot roast. The banana cake complimented this meal. It’s a keeper and a repeat!!! Thanks for sharing.