Banana Cake

Source: bhg.com


Servings: 12-16
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Bake Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3)
• 3/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup shortening (or butter)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs

Directions:

1. Grease and lightly flour two 8x1-1/2-inch or 9x1-1/2-inch round baking pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set pan(s) aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add bananas, buttermilk, shortening, and vanilla. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add eggs; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour batter into the prepared pan(s).
3. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes for round pans or about 35 minutes for 13x9-inch pan or till a wooden toothpick comes out clean. Cool layer cakes in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove layer cakes from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or, place 13x9-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting. Makes 12 to 16 servings.

Comments:

For Scott's 30th birthday (the first one he had since we'd been married), he told me his favorite cake was banana cake. I went to Mum to get her NZ banana cake recipe, but she hadn't made it in years; plus, it was in metrics and I was too unconfident with my math skills to convert it. So, I looked in my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook. . .and voilà! Scott said it was even better than the NZ version he remembered. This is now especially a favorite with the Wihongi sisters-in-law and I am usually requested to bring this to every family potluck function.

A few tips: 1) substituting shortening with butter works great, 2) Chocolate Cool Whip is our personal favorite "frosting," and 3) for a fun variation: remove 1 cup of the batter, mix it with the chocolate packet from a chocolate marble cake mix, and swirl the chocolate-banana batter in with the regular batter before baking.