Potluck Banana Cake Food

A-NUMBER-1 BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour 2 - 8 inch round pans. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream butter, white sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in the bananas. Add flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk to the creamed mixture. Stir in chopped walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven, and place on a damp tea towel to cool.

POTLUCK BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas and sour cream, beating well after each addition., Pour into a greased 13x9-in. baking dish. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 35-40 minutes. Cool completely on a wire rack., For frosting, in a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Dissolve coffee granules in milk; add to butter mixture and beat until smooth. Spread over cake. Sprinkle with additional instant coffee, if desired.

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.

POTLUCK HUMMINGBIRD CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• (If you havent toasted the pecans, now is the perfect time to do it while the oven is preheating. Just spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet and place in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until you can smell them toasting.) Grease and flour a 12 cup bundt pan.
• Mix on low speed for 1 minute the cake mix, pineapple and juice, bananas, water, oil, eggs, vanilla and cinnamon.
• Stop mixer and scrape down, then mix at medium speed for 2 minutes more.
• Stir in by hand the cherries and 1/2 cup nuts.
• Batter will be thick and fruit well blended.
• Pour into bundt pan.
• Bake on middle rack for 50-60 minutes.
• Cake will be golden and spring back when touched.
• Cool in pan for 20 minutes then invert and cool completely.
• Make the cream cheese frosting.
• Mix the cream cheese and butter on low 30 seconds.
• Add the sugar, slowly still at low speed until well blended.
• Add vanilla, increase to medium and beat 1 minute.
• Frost cooled cake and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup pecans.
• Store in the refrigerator up to one week.
• Can be frozen up to 6 months.
• Thaw overnite in the refrigerator before serving.

PEANUT BUTTER BANANA CAKE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with milk, beating well after each addition.
• Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
• For frosting, in a small bowl, beat the peanut butter, milk and vanilla until blended; gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake. Yield: 12-15 servings.