Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Today's recipe is Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing. I've made several banana cakes and this recipe is my favorite. It's not too strong of a banana flavor and it's not greasy. It's moist, it's quick to put together and it's a wonderful way to use up some overripe bananas. I'm sure this would make a delicious layer cake but I usually make it as cupcakes or as a snack cake or even sheet cake. Banana cakes seem more "casual" to me so I feel like they don't belong in the more formal layer cake category. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com. It's one of many banana cake recipes on their site.

These bananas are RIPE! I had to squeeze them like a tube of toothpaste out of the peel!

The recipe calls for buttermilk which I don't often have on hand. I make my own with regular whole milk and vinegar. The results are wonderful.

I used these paper cups by Wilton that are made for nuts & snacks. They looked cute but they were kind of difficult to remove from the cake. I wouldn't use them again.

Baked and ready to frost!

Cream cheese icing with a touch of vanilla. I use the clear vanilla extract so my icing stays white.

Mmmm! This cake is so moist! It's delicious without being too banana-ee.

Banana Cake

3/4 cup butter
2 1/8 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups mashed banana

Preheat oven to 310 degrees. Grease and flour your pans or line your cupcake tins with paper liners.

In small bowl, mix mashed bananas with lemon juice, set aside. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda & salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Mix in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternating with the buttermilk. Stir in the banana mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake in preheated oven till the tops springs back when lightly touched or use the toothpick test.

Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Ice with frosting of your choice. (Chocolate frosting or cream cheese icing are good choices).