How to Make Mom's Best Banana Cake Recipe

Use ripe bananas for the best flavor.

Take a break from banana bread. Bake a moist, delicious banana cake the next time you have leftover fruit. If you aren't watching your figure, top your banana cake with a rich cream cheese frosting. Let 1/2 cup butter and 8 oz. cream cheese reach room temperature. Beat the two ingredients together. Mix in about 4 cups powdered sugar and a teaspoon or two of vanilla. Frost the cake. Garnish the cake's top or sides with 1/2 cup chopped pecans.

Things You'll Need

• 2, 9-inch round cake pans
• Butter
• Flour
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Bowl
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• Stand or hand mixer
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2/4 tsp. baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• Cooling rack
• 12 oz. frozen whipped topping
• Banana slices

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your cake pans, or spray them with nonstick cooking spray. Set them aside.

2. Put the mashed banana in a small mixing bowl. Add lemon juice to keep the banana from turning brown. Set the bowl aside.

3. Cream the sugar and shortening. Add the eggs. Mix your ingredients thoroughly.

4. Add the baking powder, salt and baking soda. Mix the ingredients for a few seconds.

5. Add 1 cup flour. Mix well. Add the buttermilk, mix again and add the last cup of flour. Mix well. Add the mashed bananas. Mix until the batter becomes light and fluffy.

6. Pour your banana cake batter into the prepared cake pans.

7. Bake the cake batter for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each layer comes out clean. Remove the pans from the oven. Let the layers cool for 10 minutes.

8. Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake. Turn the layers upside down over a cooling rack, tapping the bottoms to loosen the cake. Cool the layers completely before frosting.

9. Thaw your frozen whipped topping. Spread the topping over a banana cake layer. Cover the whipped topping with banana slices. Add your second cake layer. Frost the sides and top of your cake with the rest of your whipped topping. Serve as is, or garnish the cake with more banana slices. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Tips & Warnings

• Toss the banana slices with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

• Sprinkle the top of your cake with toasted coconut.

References

• Food Network; Banana Cake; Hannah Wilson; 2011
• Moms Who Think: Banana Cake Recipe
• Epicurious; Banana Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting; "Bon Appétit"; October 1997