Brown Sugar Banana Cake Recipes

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.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease two 8 or 9-inch cake pans.
• CAKE:
• Beat brown sugar blend and oil in an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add next 6 ingedients. Beat to combine. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pans.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool on a wire rack.
• ASSEMBLY:.
• Place 1 layer of cake on serving platter. Place sliced banana on top. Place remaining cake on top. Sprinkle with icing sugar if desired.
• TIPS: for a more decadent version, place 3/4 cup Chipits Semi-sweet chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl. Heat 1/4 cup Carnation fat-free evaporated milk in the microwave for 1 minute and pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes, stir until mixture is combined. Drizzle half the mixture over the sliced bananas and bottom half of cake. Place remaining layer on top. Drizzle with remaining chocolate.