Friday, August 10, 2012

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting


See! I told you I had more recipes to share! My mom brought me a boatload of ripe bananas, and I decided that , rather than yet another banana bread, I'd try something new. I found this gem in grandma's recipe stash and set to work.

Now, let me tell you this was a first for me. There was a day when I wouldn't even clip or attempt a recipe if it had more than, say, five ingredients. It just seemed like way too much work. But, I'm happy to say I have matured as a baker since those days and therefore this was feasible. Tedious, but feasible. :)

Here's the recipe for you:

2/3 c. shortening
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 c. mashed bananas (about 4 medium)
1 c. milk (I used skim. You know, to keep it low cal. LOL.)
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/4 t. baking powder
1 1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
4 c. confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
Dash salt

1. In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add bananas and milk; mix just until combined. Combine the flour, banking powder, baking soda and salt. Add to the creamed mixture; beat for 2 minutes.

2. In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Fold into batter. Pour into a greased 9 x 13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and salt; beat until smooth. Spread over cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 15 servings

What I liked about this recipe: It was DELISH! I was seriously concerned that the frosting would be too sweet (as it is by itself), but when coupled with the cake it was a perfect combination. The cake itself was very dense and very filling, almost like a carrot cake would be. I also appreciate the new alternative for over ripe bananas!

What I didn't like: It took For. Ev. Er. to cook. I checked it at 30 mins, and then again every five minutes thereafter. I didn't add up the entire time, but I was probably around 50 minutes of total bake time and my toothpick was still coming out with a little bit of batter on it. The edges were starting to get a little too brown for my liking, so I pulled it out even though it was still a tiny bit doughy, and it turned out fine. I have no idea whose oven could cook this in 30 minutes though, because the top was barely even set in that amount of time. But, I guess if you make it it's best to err on the side of caution and start checking at 30 or 35 mins like the original recipe suggests. It could also be because I didn't measure my bananas, and instead just used 4 medium (as the recipe comparison suggests) sized ones. Maybe I had over 2 cups in there, but it couldn't have been that much over. Who knows. Bottom line though is that it turned out and was divine. The other small issue I had was that the frosting recipe makes a boatload of frosting. Probably more than you need. I slathered it all on though - hate to be wasteful, you know! :)

So, there you have it! Let me know how it turns out (and what your final cook time was) if you decide to try it! And stay tuned for that Tater Tot Taco Salad recipe! That was a super fast dinner if ever I saw one. Just my style!

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