Despite the number of recipes I cook, there are always things I buy that I never get to. Usually an abundance of tomatoes, or in this case, bananas.
Tired of using for pudding or banana bread, I tried something a little different.
With most banana breads, you have to wait until they are at a very ripe level (see image below). With this recipe, they can be used at any level from 3 to 6.
INGREDIENTS
Cake
1 ½ cups milk
2 ½ tablespoons lemon juice divided*
1 ⅓ cup mashed bananas
⅔ cup butter softened
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
Butter and flour to prepare pan
Frosting
8 ounces cream cheese
⅓ cup butter softened
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ½ teaspoons lemon zest from 1 lemon
3-3 ½ cups powdered sugar
METHOD
Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature before you begin.
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
Place 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice in a measuring cup. Top to 1 ½ cups with milk. Set aside. * You need the acidity here, so don’t skip the lemon juice. If you have none, use buttermilk instead.
Mash bananas - 3 or 4 - depending on their size. Mix together mashed banana with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, set aside.
Beat together butter, brown and white sugar until combined. Add in eggs one at a time and vanilla. Mix on high until light and fluffy. When mixing your butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla, beat the mixture until VERY fluffy, almost the consistency of a fluffy buttercream frosting. This should take about 5 minutes.
Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl.
Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to egg mixture, stirring just until combined. Don’t overmix or the cake will be tough.
Fold in bananas. Pour into prepared pan.
Put into the oven and reduce heat to 300°F. Bake 60 – 70 minutes, checking at 55 minutes or just until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven and place in the freezer for 45 minutes to make the cake extra moist. This is the step that makes the cake extra moist. It steams quickly while cooling.
Cool completely before frosting.
Frosting
Cream together butter & cream cheese until fluffy. Add in lemon zest and juice.
Again, if you have no lemons, use 1.5 teaspoons lemon extract in place of the zest and juice.
Add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach desired consistency. Spread over cooled cake.
I wouldn’t normally store this cake in the fridge, but it’s really hot outside and the icing will get gooey if you don’t. Leave the serving slices out for a few minutes before serving. Then grab a coffee and go bananas.
