Frosted Banana Cake
Andrea Potischman
Apr 13, 2019
I have always loved bananas. As a kid, I preferred them over apples. Straight-up, on top of cereal, with ice cream, you name it, I’m a fan. Like banana bread, frosted banana cake was a treat and something I always looked forward to having. Some things never change. This is one of my all-time favorite rustic banana cake recipes. Simple and reliable, this delicious recipe requires very little effort, at least as far as cakes go. Made in a standard 9×13-inch baking pan with no fancy frosting technique required, this cake is a go-to for me on many occasions.
Historically, banana cake is believed to have been invented during the Depression of the 1930s by housewives looking for ways to make extra money at home. Grocery stores quickly found value in selling their overripe bananas to home bakers instead of taking a loss. At the time, both baking soda and baking powder were growing in popularity and became key ingredients in making this type of simple cake. It was not until the 1960s, when home baking made a comeback, that banana cake grew in popularity due mainly to the simplicity and ease of its preparation.
In the dessert world, everyone needs an uncomplicated dessert and this is just that. A moist, fluffy, flavorful cake that’s not overly sweet, despite the cream cheese frosting. With its mild banana flavor, this is a lovely cake to make year-round.
Frosted Banana Cake
Ingredients:
For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cup buttermilk
For the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups confectioner's sugar
Directions:
- For the Cake: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9x13 baking pan and set aside.
- In a small mixing bowl, mash the bananas well. Add the lemon juice and mix well to incorporate. In a separate medium-size bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix well and set it near your workstation. Using a kitchen mixer, such as A KitchenAid, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the eggs to the butter mixture, one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Add the vanilla. Slowly, while alternating, add the flour and buttermilk, mixing well to incorporate. Add the bananas.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or till a cake tester comes out clean.
- For the Cream Cheese Frosting: In a kitchen mixer, such as a KitchenAid, fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on high till smooth and well incorporated Add the vanilla. With the mixer on low, slowly add the sugar and mix. Put the mixer on high to whip the frosting until it is very smooth and free of any lumps.
- To Assemble the Cake: When the cake has cooled completely, remove it from the baking pan and set it on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, trim the top of the cake as needed to make level as much as possible. Using an off-set spatula, frost the top of the cake. Do not frost the sides.
- Using a slicer knife, run the blade under hot water. Wipe dry and trim the side of the cake removing the harder brown crust and exposing the lovely banana cake inside. Clean the knife under hot water and repeat with the remaining sides. Note: store the banana cake in the refrigerator.
Oh boy, now I need an excuse to make a cake:)
Looks delicious.
It’s a keeper, one of my all-time favorites.