Makeover Old Fashioned Banana Cake 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:

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, oil and vanilla. Beat into dry ingredients just until combined (batter will be thick). Stir in pineapple. Fold in the bananas, cherries and walnuts. , Transfer to a greased and floured 10-in. fluted tube pan. Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Dust with confectioners' sugar.

BANANA PEEL CAKE WITH BROWN SUGAR FROSTING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• To make the cake: Cut the banana peels into 1-inch pieces and place them in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly, then drain the banana peels, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
• Meanwhile, butter and flour the sides of two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter and flour the pans again to coat the paper.
• Transfer the peels and the 1/4 cup of cooking water to a tall, narrow container and puree with an immersion blender until completely smooth (a mini food processor would do the trick, too!).
• Cream together the butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer (or a wooden spoon for an arm workout) until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until incorporated, and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the banana peel mixture, then stir in the buttermilk until well-combined.
• In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the butter mixture and stir gently, just until combined.
• Put the egg whites in another bowl (make sure it's clean and dry!) and whisk until soft peaks form -- either by hand or with the whisk attachment on an electric mixer. If using an electric mixer, start slowly and gradually increase speed to medium-high. You're done when you pull out the whisk or beater and a soft peak is formed, but immediately collapses. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter and divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans.
• Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake pulls out with dry crumbs rather than wet batter, about 25 minutes. Let the cakes cool completely in the pans.
• When the cakes are completely cool and you're ready to assemble, make the frosting: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the brown sugar and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in the milk, raise the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring constantly until the mixture boils. Remove from the heat and let cool to lukewarm. Gradually whisk in 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar, beating until smooth. Add the additional 1/4 cup powdered sugar if the frosting is too loose. Use the frosting immediately, as it will begin to thicken and stiffen as it sits.
• To remove the cake from the pans, invert one cake pan on a serving plate, lift pan, and peel the parchment. Repeat for the second cake pan. Put one layer of the cake on a serving platter and spread about one-third of the frosting evenly over the top. Set the other layer on top, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake.

GRANDMA RILEY'S BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Cream sugar and shortening together; add eggs and vanilla. Mix in buttermilk and mashed bananas., In a separate bowl, combine flour, soda, baking powder and salt; add to banana mixture and mix until ingredients are combined. Spoon into a greased 13x9-in. baking pan or two 9-in. round cake pans., Bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool cake for 30 minutes before frosting. , For frosting, mix butter, powdered sugar and milk until smooth; add vanilla and salt. If frosting is too thick, add more milk 1 tsp. at a time until reaching desired consistency. Spread on warm banana cake.

BANANA CAKE AND OLD FASHIONED ICING

Steps:

• Cream sour cream, sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Add bananas baking soda and flour. Bake in a moderate oven *350 degrees* in a prepared 9x13 pan. Baking time varies. 45 minutes should be way more then enough. Mine takes 40 minutes and five to toss together.
• Icing: as cake is baking bring orange juice and butter to room temperature. add powdered sugar in a mixer. Until its at desired consistency.

OLD-FASHIONED BANANA SPICE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and lightly flour the sides and bottoms of two 8" round cake pans; knock out excess flour.
• Using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter and sugar together in a large bowl for at least 10 minutes, or until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, mashed banana, and vanilla. Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and spices together onto a piece of waxed paper. Stir into the banana mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
• Spoon into the prepared pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
• Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 10 minutes. Unmold onto the racks and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: in a small, heavy saucepan, heat the milk until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Meanwhile, beat the sugar and egg yolks together in a small bowl. Beat in the flour and salt. Gradually beat in the hot milk.
• Return to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to thicken and comes to a simmer. Lower the heat to low and continue stirring for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and beat in the butter and vanilla. Pour into a bowl, cover with a piece of plastic wrap pressed onto the surface of the custard, let cool slightly, and refrigerate.
• To assemble the cake: Split each cake layer in half. If the custard is too thick to spread, thin it with a little cream. Spread 1/3 of the filling and arrange 1/3 of the banana slices evenly on 3 of the layers. Stack the layers and top with the fourth layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
• Just before serving, make the topping: in a deep bowl, whip the cream until very soft peaks form. Beat in the sugar and vanilla. Spread the whipped cream frosting over the top of the cake, allowing some to drip down the sides.