Decadent Banana Cake With Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting Food

THE BEST BANANA CAKE I'VE EVER HAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease a 9×13 inch pan.
• Mash the bananas. I usually just use my mixer for this! Set mashed bananas aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together. Set aside.
• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high speed until smooth and creamy - about 1 minute. Add both sugars and beat on high speed for 2 minutes until creamed together. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs and the vanilla. Beat on medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape down the sides and up the bottom of the bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients in three additions alternating with the buttermilk and mixing each addition just until incorporated. Do not overmix. The batter will be slightly thick and a few lumps is OK.
• Spread batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on yours. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If you find the top of the cake is browning too quickly in the oven, loosely cover it with aluminum foil.
• Remove the cake from the oven and set on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. After about 45 minutes, I usually place it in the refrigerator to speed things up.
• In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add 3 cups confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. If you want the frosting a little thicker, add the extra 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar (I add it). Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 30 minutes before serving. This helps sets the frosting and makes cutting easier.
• Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.

THE BEST COCONUT LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Position racks in the middle and lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper; butter the parchment, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside.
• Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk the buttermilk and cream of coconut in a small bowl. Beat the butter and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and coconut extracts. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, until combined.
• Beat the egg whites and the remaining 1/2 cup granulated sugar in a large bowl with clean beaters on medium-high speed until stiff glossy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches until just combined (do not overmix). Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake, switching the pans halfway through, until the cakes are lightly browned and the centers spring back when lightly pressed, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 20 minutes in the pans, then run a small knife around the edges of each cake and carefully invert onto the racks; remove the parchment and let cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in about half of the confectioners' sugar until combined. Add the remaining confectioners' sugar, salt and vanilla and coconut extracts and beat until combined. Increase the mixer speed to medium high and continue beating, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed, until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Place one cake layer on a cake stand or platter and top with a heaping 2/3 cup frosting. Add another cake layer, more frosting and the last cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the coconut all over the top and sides of the cake, gently pressing to adhere.

BEST EVER BANANA CAKE WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 275°F (135C).
• Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
• In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
• In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
• Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
• Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
• Stir in banana mixture.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
• For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
• Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
• Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
• Spread on cooled cake.
• Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

DECADENT BANANA CAKE WITH COCONUT-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Steps:

• To make the cake: sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
• In a bowl, beat the butter at medium speed using an electric mixer, until creamy.
• Add in sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
• Add in eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.
• Beat in bananas at low speed.
• Increase speed to medium, and gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
• Pour batter into 2 greased/floured 9-inch round cake pans.
• Bake in a 350° oven for 30 minutes or until a pick comes out clean.
• Cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.
• To make the frosting: in a bowl, beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed using an electric mixer, until creamy.
• Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended.
• Beat at high speed until smooth.
• Stir in milk and vanilla; stir in coconut.
• Spread Coconut-Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake.

BANANA CAKE WITH COCONUT ICING

Steps:

• Whip butter in bowl.
• Sift in dry ingredients.
• Add milk, bananas, eggs and mix.
• Bake at 350F for 25-35 minutes Combine ingredients for icing in a heavy saucepan, and cook until well blended.
• Spread over cake while still warm.
• (Tip- to make sour milk, add a splash of vinegar and stir).