Banana layer cake

 

             A familiar old-fashioned cake. Fill and frost Banana Layer Cake with a traditional cream cheese frosting or whipped cream.

Makes 12 servings (9-inch two-layer cake)

• 2 cups cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1¼ cups sugar
• Two-third cup solid vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• One-third cup buttermilk
• 2 cups heavy cream or cream cheese frosting (recipe below)
• 2 bananas, peeled and sliced

1. Preheat oven to 350F ; grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
2. Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium-size bowl.
3. Beat together sugar and shortening in large bowl until well combined ; beat in eggs, mashed banana and vanilla.
4. Beat in flour mixture, then the buttermilk ; pour batter into prepared pans, dividing equally.
5. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes until wooden pick inserted in center of cakes comes out clean ; cool cakes in pans on wire rack 10 minutes.
6. Remove cakes from pans on wire rack to cool completely.
7. Place one cake layer on serving platter ; cover with two-third cup of whipped cream or frosting and half the banana slices.
8. Top with second cake layer ; frost outside of cake with whipped cream or frosting.
9. Decorate with remaining banana slices.

Traditonal Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 box (16 ounces) 10X sugar (Icing sugar)

1. Beat cream cheese in large bowl until smooth ; beat in milk, vanilla and salt.
2. Gradually beat in 10X sugar until the mixture is smooth.

BON APPÉTIT