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.