Classic Banana Cake Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and 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, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 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, if using.
• 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.

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:

• 1. Bake your bananas. Put them on a small metal pan and bake them at 300 degrees for about 20 minutes until the skins turn black. Remove the bananas from the oven and let them cool while you make the cake. (leave them unpeeled; you will snip the end off and squeeze the banana into the mixture later)
• 2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 10-inch bundt pan with Pam. Set the cake directly on the rack, not on a cookie sheet. (This is so the heat can go up through the center of the bundt pan to ensure even baking.) You may need to cover with a tent of foil if the cake gets too brown.
• 3. Combine the flour, baking soda and the salt and whisk together, set aside.
• 4. Add butter to the stand mixer bowl and beat until creamy. Add the sugar and beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy (no grainyness remains) I use a Kitchen Aid stand mixer with a paddle attachment. You can use a hand mixer if you don't have a stand mixer. When mixing the sugar and butter, it is important that you mix it until the grainyness is gone.
• 5. Beat in the vanilla, and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating about a minute after you add each egg.
• 6. Turn the mixer down to low, snip the ends off the small end of the banana and squeeze the banana like a tube of toothpaste. It will fall right out of the peel. Add all the bananas (except the one reserved for garnish)
• 7. Mix in half of the dry ingredients, add the sour cream, add the rest of the dry ingredients, mixing well until smooth.
• 8. Pour the batter into the well-greased bundt pan, smoothing the top, rapping it onto the counter to remove the bubbles. Add the banana slices to make the flower design on top.
• 9. Bake in the oven 65 to 75 minutes. Watch carefully that it doesn't overbrown (add the foil tent if it is browining too fast) Test the center with a thin knife close to the center. Cool cake on a rack 10 minutes before unmolding, then cool to room temperature. Here is what it looks like when it is done! Enjoy!
• 10. Note: You may serve the cake plain, dust with powdered sugar, or try a variety of icings.