Banana Cake With Crunchy Topping Food

THE BEST BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan (see Cook's Note) with aluminum foil, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two longer sides. Lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray.
• For the cake, mash the bananas in a large bowl with a fork or potato masher until very smooth. Whisk in the dark brown sugar, melted butter, sour cream, eggs and vanilla until smooth and combined. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the banana mixture in thirds until just combined. Pour into the prepared baking pan and smooth the top. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Leave the cake in the pan to cool slightly, about 30 minutes. Use the foil overhang to remove the cake from the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, beat the butter, cream cheese and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Reduce to low speed, then add the powdered sugar a cup at a time until smooth. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Transfer 1/2 cup of the frosting to a small bowl and stir in the dulce de leche until smooth. Cover both frostings with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature until ready to assemble the cake.
• For the candied banana chips, warm the maple syrup in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until it just starts bubbling. Add the banana chips and cook, tossing and stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, until the chips have absorbed almost all the maple syrup and are browned in spots, 3 to 4 minutes. Immediately transfer the banana chips to a baking sheet, spread in an even layer and cool completely. Once cool, roughly chop.
• Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Spread about 3/4 cup plain cream cheese frosting all over the top of the cake.
• Dollop the dulce de leche frosting and remaining plain frosting on top, then use a small offset spatula to swirl both frostings together in a swooping design, making sure the frosting goes all the way to the edges of the cake. Top with the chopped candied banana chips.

OLD-FASHIONED BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until smooth.
• In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.
• Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves, if using.
• Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don't whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth.

BANANA CAKE WITH CRUNCHY TOPPING

Steps:

• Sift flour, baking powder, soda, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Cut in shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
• Add in mashed bananas and sour milk.
• Mix by hand 300 strokes or in a mixer at low speed for 2 minutes.
• Add eggs and vanilla.
• Beat for 1 minute on low speed or by hand 150 strokes.
• Spread into an 8x10 inch pan or 9x9 inch pan that is greased only on the bottom Bake at 375 degrees for 35-42 minutes.
• While the cake is cooking prepare crunchy topping.
• Cream butter and sugar.
• Add coconut and nuts.
• Remove cake from oven and turn dial to broil.
• Spread crunchy topping (I usually make 1 and a half times the topping recipe) over hot cake and broil until sugar is bubbly and topping is browned (Approximatley 3 minutes).

BANANA CAKE WITH CRUNCHY TOP

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease a 13x9 inch cake pan.
• Cake: combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
• Add sugar, butter, 1/4 cup buttermilk and bananas. Beat for 2 minutes with wooden spoon (or electric mixer).
• Add eggs, vanilla and 1/4 cup buttermilk. Beat for 1 minute.
• Spread batter evenly in prepared pan.
• Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until tootpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Topping: while cake is baking, prepare topping. Melt butter in small saucepan (or microwave). Stir in remaining ingredients thoroughly.
• Remove cake from oven and immediately spread toping evenly over cake.
• Broil 6 inches below element for 2 to 3 minutes or until bubbly and golden.

BANANA CRUNCH CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour an 8x8 inch pan. Make the oat crunch topping: In a small bowl, combine the rolled oats, brown sugar, melted butter and 2 tablespoons chopped walnuts. Mix well and set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream shortening and white sugar until light and fluffy. Blend in bananas, eggs, and vanilla. Combine the oat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt. Beat into creamed mixture. Stir in 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the oat crunch topping.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.

BANANA UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees.
• Make the topping: In an oven-safe 10-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, lemon juice and salt, and whisk until the brown sugar melts, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Let cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture starts to smell like caramel and darkens slightly, about 1 minute longer. (Don't walk away, or the mixture may burn.) The mixture will clump and separate, but that's OK.
• Add bananas and nuts, gently tossing to coat with the caramel. Remove from heat and arrange fruit into an even layer on bottom of skillet. Ignore any sugar clumps; they will dissolve during baking.
• Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until thoroughly combined. Whisk in eggs, one at a time. Add sour cream and whisk until well mixed. Sprinkle in baking powder, salt and baking soda into the batter, one at a time, and whisking vigorously after each addition.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in flour until just incorporated. The mixture will be lumpy, but that's OK. Don't overmix. Scrape batter into the skillet over the fruit and spread evenly.
• Bake until surface is deeply browned all over (with darker brown edges) and the fruit is lightly bubbling around the sides of the skillet, about 35 to 45 minutes, rotating halfway through. A toothpick inserted into cake will come out clean.
• Once the cake is out of the oven, immediately run a butter knife or offset spatula around the edge of the skillet. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to cool slightly. Carefully invert cake into serving platter. If some fruit or nuts stick to bottom of skillet, gently remove them using an offset spatula or knife and place them back onto cake. Let the cake cool until the fruit topping sets, at least 30 minutes to 1 hour, before serving. Cake is best served on the day it is baked.

SURPRISE BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour one 9 x 13 inch cake pan.
• Cream together the butter or margarine and the sugar.
• Add eggs, bananas, flour, soda, salt, nuts, and vanilla. Mix thoroughly and pour batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 minutes. Cool and frost cake.