Banana Cake

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I am typically a chocolate cake kinda girl. My Granny would always have a yellow cake with chocolate icing when we came to visit. It is one of my favorite memories. However my Great Aunt Grace Bower’s banana cake is a close second. It’s like the best banana bread you’ve had with frosting! It is soooooooo good. Eliza was skeptical, but requested a piece every time I had one. Richard is still not eating solid foods however, he discovered banana cake frosting and is a HUGE fan.

Here’s what you will need

• Sugar
• shortening (Crisco)
• Baking powder
• baking soda
• salt
• eggs
• flour
• Ripe bananas
• sour milk (vinegar + milk)
• butter
• vanilla extract
• milk
• powdered sugar

Prep your pans and oven first

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. You will need two round cake pans that are either 8 or 9 inches. Grease and flour them well so your cake does not stick. Grab your browning bananas, remove the strings, and smash them up. You’ll need one cup, but if you have a little more go ahead and use it. If your bananas are not quite ripe, smash them up and let them sit out for an hour or so to ripen up some.

Let’s get mixing

In a large mixing bowl, cream together 1/2 cup Crisco and 1 1/2 cups sugar. Add 2 eggs one at a time, beating well after each one. Make your sour milk using 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar in a measuring cup and then enough milk to make 1/4 cup. Add the dry ingredients (2 1/4 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 3/4 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt) alternately with the mashed bananas and sour milk. Mix until well combined.

Divide batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-45 minutes until layers are done and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes and then turn out onto cooling racks to finish cooling.

Wasn’t that easy? Now the hard part, waiting for the layers to cool before making the frosting. This is a good time to pull out 3 Tbsp butter to soften and see what all my children have gotten into. Today was the day Richard discovered he could pull out the drawers to climb in the middle of the coffee table. He was right proud of himself.

Frosting, yummy sicky sweet frosting

This is a simple frosting, but it is so good, but so sweet. In a medium bowl, beat together 4 Tablespoons softened butter, 4 cups powdered sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract, and milk to consistency. I normally don’t like that phrase to consistency. I like amounts, but unfortunately this is one I’ve never measured for some reason. Honestly I’m not sure why, but I need to. Anywho add slowly and carefully. Add a little bit and beat it. Then see how thick it is. You want to be able to spread it without breaking the cake, but you don’t want it running off.

Decide what plate to store it on and place one layer down. Put a thin to medium amount of frosting on top and then add the other layer on top. Now place it in the fridge for about 20 minutes to let the icing harden up. I know, you’re ready to frost this yummy thing. However save yourself the frustration of the top layer sliding all over the place and let it harden up some.

After that long 20 minutes, remove the cake from the fridge and frost the top and sides. If it starts sliding off the sides and driving you nuts, throw it back in the fridge for 10 minutes or so. Seriously this cake can be a pain to frost. I normally end up with thick icing at the bottom and thinner icing at the top of the sides. Make sure to store this in the fridge as the icing will start to slide off if left out for too long.

It’s Ready!

You are ready for some amazing yummy banana cake! Cut your slices sparingly! It is sweeter than you think. This is one of my absolute favorite desserts, I have learned the hard way too much will give me a tummy ache. It also is advisable to not give this to your preschooler for dessert at supper. It leads to them bouncing off the walls instead of wanting to go to bed. It’s a better treat for lunch or snack time and then promptly send them out the door to run off that sugar.

I used this recipe for a long time as banana bread recipe. It works well in a loaf pan without icing. You also can make it into cupcakes/ muffins with or without the frosting. I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!