Old-Fashioned Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

PUBLISHED ON: 10.27.2011

My intentions are always good when it comes to using overripe bananas. Rarely do I manage to actually follow through on my romantic baking notions and I end-up discarding my bananas. This time I was on my game, and produced an absolutely delicious banana cake with a cream cheese frosting.

Old-Fashioned Banana Cake
Serves 8
Recipe from Ina Garten

Ingredients:
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1 orange
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Walnut halves, optional
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 35 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9×2-inch round cake pan.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix with bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined.  With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, orange zest.  Mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined.  Stir in the chopped walnuts.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.
Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves.
Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2-1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (1/2 pound)
Directions:
Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined.  Don’t whip!  Add the sugar and mix until smooth.
Enjoy!

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