Banana Cake

This is a recipe my grandmother used to make, and her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren still make it. It's delicious and it reminds us of family celebrations and good times.

This cake has a wonderful dense texture and distinct banana flavor, and the home-made butter cream frosting, colored just exactly the right shade of soft pink, is the perfect compliment. Please do not use canned frosting! Ick. Sorry, I just think canned frosting is disgusting. And yes, you must color the frosting pink otherwise it won't taste as good. Trust me.

Perle's Banana Cake

1/2 cup shortening
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2-1/4 cups flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 cup mashed bananas (2 or 3 ripe bananas)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350-F.  Grease and flour two 8" round cake pans (or use PAM cooking spray for baking). You can also make cupcakes with this batter (makes ~30).

In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar til well combined.  Add eggs and beat some more.  Dissolve baking soda in the buttermilk.  In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.  Add buttermilk and flour mixture alternately a little at a time. Beat in bananas and walnuts.

Divide batter evenly between cake pans. Bake for ~25 min. or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. You might have to cover the pans with foil after about 15 minutes, to avoid the outside getting over-done. I'm actually not sure how long to bake cupcakes, but start with 12-15 min. and go from there.

Remove from oven and cool in pans for 5 min.  Invert onto cooling racks. When completely cool, frost the cake with Butter Cream Frosting.

*If you don't have buttermilk on hand, you can make your own "sour milk" by measuring 1 tsp vinegar or lemon juice into a measuring cup, and adding enough milk to make a total of 1 cup. So for this recipe, just cut that in 1/2.

Butter Cream Frosting

What I have written down as Grandma's "recipe" for the frosting, is not very specific and actually doesn't make nearly enough frosting to cover an 8" layer cake. So I use this recipe from my Better Homes and Gardens "New" Cookbook (from 1975)

1 stick  (1/2 cup) softened butter
1 box (1 lb) powdered sugar
~ 1/4 cup cream or 1/2 and 1/2
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream butter; gradually add about half the sugar, blending well.  Beat in 2 TB cream and the vanilla.  Gradually blend in remaining sugar. Add enough cream to make of spreading consistency. Add 2-3 small drops of red food coloring and mix in. 


By the way, this cake tastes really yummy with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Happy Baking!