Bananas,bananas, bananas. Somehow I always seem to end up with way too many stashed in the freezer. Probably because I insist on buying them at Costco since they’re around half the price of Safeway. And, I have good intentions of eating one or so a day, and counting on Alex to at least eat one or two, but it never happens before they go brown and mushy. So, the peels come off, they get thrown into freezer bags and saved for whenever I remember they’re there, which is a chore in and of itself. We’re just a couple months away from having a 3rd banana eater, so maybe then my freezer stash will diminish.
This cake is great. Not only is it delicious, but it uses up a whole 3 bananas!! Super moist and teeming with banana flavor. The frosting turned out amazing and brought the banana taste to another level. My cake stacking ability is severely lacking, so the sliced almonds helped beautify my endeavor
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Frosted Banana Cake, adapted from The Only Bake Sale Cookbook You’ll Ever Need
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl; stir to mix. Add the sugar, mashed bananas, butter and buttermilk. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat for 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for 1 minute. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a rubber spatula.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pans on a wire rack, then remove the layers from the pans and cool completely on the wire rack before frosting.
Meanwhile, make the banana buttercream frosting…
Banana Buttercream Frosting
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup mashed rips banana (about 1 medium banana)
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, mashed banana, and half of the powdered sugar until creamy. Add the milk and vanilla and beat until combined. With the mixer running, add the remaining powdered sugar, beating until smooth and creamy.
Frost the top of one cooled layer, then stack the 2nd layer on top. Frost the sides then the top of the cake and you’re ready to eat!