Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Banana Cake

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A long time ago I found this recipe on Recipezaar, the prospect of taking a cake straight from the oven and putting it in the freezer intrigued me. So I had to try it myself. Of course the results were awesome! The cake turns out very dense, but the moistness is LOCKED in by the quick cooling method, and makes for great eating. Over the years I've added my own twists and additions to the cake, but regardless it is always a winner and quickly devoured. I once took it to work for a co-workers birthday, I even went to the effort of decorating it with their name and pretty flowers, ever since its been my most requested cake from my work mates. I thought it might just be easier to give them the recipe rather than baking a cake everytime they ask. Especially when there was the Great banana depression of 2006. So for everyone else, here is the recipe for you too.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups really ripe bananas (roughly two large bananas)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 cups plain flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature
2 1/8 cups castor sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

ICING

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature (cut into cubes)
1 package Philly cream cheese, at room temperature (cut into cubes)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
Juice from half a lemon
3 1/2 cups pure icing sugar

GARNISH

chopped walnuts/pecans/pumkin seeds

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 150°C and grease and flour a 9inch x 13inch cake tin.

2. Mashed banana with the lemon juice.

3. In a bowl sift together dry ingredients, flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.

4. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

5. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla extract.

6. Beat in the buttermilk followed by the flour mixture.

7. Stir in banana mixture.

8. Pour batter into prepared tin and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour - 1 hr 15 min or until
toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

9. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. Instead of placing into the freeze, lets face it sometimes we just dont have room, you can wrap it tightly in glad wrap and let it come to room temperature.

ICING

1. For the icing, cream the butter, vanilla extract and cream cheese with and electric beater until smooth. Add the lemon juice and mix to combine. This amount makes alot of icing. I cut the amount in half because I only wanted to ice the top of the cake.

2. Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until icing is fluffy and smooth.

3. Spread on cooled cake and sprinkle chopped walnuts/pecans/pumpkin seeds over top of the frosting, if desired. I decided to go for a plain topping this time round.