Banana Cake

I had over ripe bananas and never wanting them to go to waste decided to make a banana cake today rather than the standard banana bread.  I kept it simple to start with.  I'm sharing the recipe because it was tasty.

4 large very ripe bananas

1 1/2 cups milk

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup butter (1 ½ sticks)

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoons vanilla

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese

1/2 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

Pre-heat your oven to 350°.

Using an electric hand-held mixer, mash your very ripe bananas.  The riper the better.  If you have 5 bananas toss them in.  It will only make a moister cake and that isn’t bad.  Mix in your melted butter and milk. 

Add your eggs, sugars and vanilla and mix well.

Add your salt and your baking soda. Mix in well and then add your 3 cups of flour slowly.  Do not over mix. 

Spray a 9 X 13 pan with cooking spray and pour in your batter.  Turn your pre-heated oven down to 300° and bake for 60 minutes.  Use a tooth pick to make sure it is done in the middle.  Let the cake cool before frosting.

Make sure your cream cheese and butter are soft.  Sit out before you are starting to bake your cake, so it is ready.  Again, using your hand-held mixer, whip your butter and cream cheese until soft and well blended.   Add your vanilla and slowly add your powdered sugar.  Frost your cake when the cake is completely cooled. 

Cover with plastic wrap until you serve it to keep it moist and from drying out.

Variations:

·       Add walnuts to your batter and have a banana nut cake.  Sprinkle the top of the cake’s frosting with walnuts.

·       Add extra bananas to your cake by adding chucks of banana to your batter.

·       Before serving cut up a banana and serve each slice with a slice of banana on it.

·       Add both walnuts and bananas to the top of your frosting for a great presentation.

·       Replace the milk with butter milk.  If you don’t have butter milk, make it by adding a teaspoon of lemon juice to your milk.

·       Like coffee?  Replace ½ a cup of the milk with cold left-over breakfast coffee for a little coffee flavor.

·       Make them cupcakes and drizzle them with caramel sauce and a banana slice on top. Cut the baking time to 25 minutes.

·       Make a two-layer cake and decorate it with nuts, caramel sauce and/or bananas. Make sure to adjust the time if you use smaller pans. Start testing with a tooth pick after 40 minutes.

·       I love chocolate and bananas.  Add chocolate chips to your batter. 

·       Drizzle the frosting with chocolate syrup.

·       Add a bit of Nutella to your batter for chocolate hazel nut flavor.

·       Use your favorite nut.  It does not have to be walnuts.  Try pecans or almonds.

·       Don’t frost it.  Use whipped cream or store bought whipped topping to lighten it up.

·       Serve it warm from the oven and top with ice cream instead of frosting. 

·       Make it a banana split by serving it chilled with ice cream, bananas, nuts and whipped cream.  

Share your ideas.

As your bananas are getting very ripe, put them in the freezer to keep them for your banana bread or cake.  They will turn black, but be perfect for cakes or bread.  Unfreeze them and they will not need mashing because they will be so soft.  Never let an over ripe banana go to waste.  If you just have one, freeze it until you have more over ripe bananas to join it in the freezer. 

Have a great Sunday.  God bless you and yours.