When I was a kid I would get so excited if the bunch of bananas my mother brought home from the grocery store had a Chiquita Banana sticker. I’d quickly pluck it off the fruit and pat it proudly onto my shirt. Unfortunately these days my bananas always tend to go bad. Even so, I continue to buy them almost weekly, and inevitably after eating one from the bunch the rest sit on the counter until the skins turn. Then I either make banana bread, throw them out, or stash them in the freezer (well wrapped of course) until I feel the urge for muffins.
Today when I noticed that my once perky yellow bunch had become a little too brown for for my taste I decided it was time to break out of the banana bread and muffin rut and update my overripe repertoire. A hunt for a recipe to use ensued and as per usual the internet didn’t let me down. This recipe yields a moist, fluffy, and sweet cake that goes perfectly with cream cheese frosting, while a dusting of chopped walnuts adds a nice crunch. Even though cake isn’t supposedly a suitable breakfast item I’m certain we’ll be sneaking bites with our morning pot of coffee. This recipe also proves that a “boring old sheet cake” can actually be mighty impressive if given the chance.
 Got Bananas? |
 Mash |
 Pour & Bake |
 Eat Bananas Every Day! |
Best Ever Banana Cake (Slightly altered (See items in bold below). The original recipe may be found at Recipezaar)
3/4 cup butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
Cream Cheese Frosting
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 cups icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Chopped walnuts
Preheat oven to 275.°
Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda, spices, and salt; set aside.
In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
Stir in banana mixture.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour (Note: My cake took almost 90 minutes to bake) or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
Beat in 1 tsp vanilla.
Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
Spread on cooled cake. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.