How To Make Banana Cake

I’ve had plenty of banana bread in my day. But it always seems like more of a cold weather food. Go figure, a tropical fruit that makes a cold weather bread. Doesn’t make sense, but that’s how it is.

This cake, though, is lighter than any banana bread I’ve ever had. And with the brown sugar buttercream frosting, it’s an amazing summertime treat.

Worried that baking these will make your kids fat? Click here and take two minutes and go answer the poll question.

Ingredients

090707-191023_Lg2 cups sugar
½ cup butter (1 stick)
2 egg yolks
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 crushed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten

Metric conversion (estimate)

500 g sugar
60 g butter
2 egg yolks
375 g all-purpose flour
7 g baking powder
4.7 g baking soda
2.4 g salt
235 ml milk
3 crushed bananas
5 ml vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten

Directions

Combine the sugar and butter and beat on low speed until completely combined.

090707-191611_Lg 090707-191656_Lg
090707-191917_Lg

Add the egg yolks and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. This is the creaming method. (Follow that link so Jenni can tell you all about why the creaming method works for cakes.)

090707-192211_Lg 090707-192254_Lg
090707-192418_Lg

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt — and whisk thoroughly. You’ll want the baking soda to be well distributed throughout the flour before adding to the wet ingredients.

090707-192937_Lg 090707-193045_Lg
090707-193105_Lg 090707-193122_Lg
090707-193209_Lg

Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients (milk), beating each time until it is just incorporated. Start and end with dry. (If you really care why, Jenni explains all.)

090707-193309_Lg 090707-193344_Lg
090707-193735_Lg

When you’re done, you should have a nice, soft, fluffy batter.

090707-193847_Lg

Now mash the bananas and add them to the batter.

090707-194117_Lg 090707-194241_Lg
090707-194331_Lg

Add the vanilla and beat until combined.

090707-194541_Lg 090707-194653_Lg

Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, but not so much you dry them out.

090707-194938_Lg 090707-195034_Lg

Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, trying not to deflate them too much.

090707-195139_Lg

Pour the batter into three greased and floured round pans.

090707-195633_Lg

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

090707-204110_Lg

Pop the cakes out of the pans and let them cool to room temperature, then frost with the brown sugar buttercream frosting.

090707-215953_Lg

This frosting will stay soft and creamy at room temperature. If you want it to firm up, you’ll need to put the cake in the refrigerator.

090707-221356_Lg

And that’s it.

090708-205714_Lg

Best banana cake frosting

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...