The Family Recipe Banana Cake

This is the one and only banana cake recipe I use. Bear in mind this is NOT banana bread - it is most definitely cake. This is after all Cravin Cake!

The recipe was gifted to my mum via a letter long long ago by a friend, and it was her family banana cake recipe. My Mum has used it frequently ever since. So whilst it has only been used in my family for 2 generations, it is the banana cake I grew up with. My recipe folder still contains a photocopy of the letter complete with weight in ounces, and mum's notes off to the side. This is fair time to finally type it up into an electronic form.

Perfect as is (especially warm just out of the oven), with a smear of butter or frosted with a lemon glacé icing or cream cheese frosting. My mum used to make a double recipe and we would eat one warm or with butter, and one was iced to devour later. With 5 kids in the house, this was a good way to keep us quiet and none was ever wasted. I have recently used this recipe for the top tier of a fondant covered cake and have also started using this recipe to make cupcakes. Soft, moist, tender and so so tasty, banana cupcakes are the perfect ending to a lovely picnic in the park.

A note before I begin - the bananas must be VERY RIPE!

The Family Recipe Banana Cake

125g butter, softened

220g (1 cup) sugar

2 eggs

3 medium sized ripe bananas, mashed

225g (1½ cups) self-raising flour

1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

60ml (¼ cup) milk

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

1.    Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan-forced). Grease and line loaf tin or 8-9 inch cake tin with baking paper.

2.    Cream the butter for 1 minute, then add sugar and cream for a few minutes until light and fluffy.

3.    Add the eggs one at a time, mixing in between.

4.    Sift in the flour and bicarbonate of soda, then add the mashed banana and mix until ingredients are just moistened. Lastly add the milk and vanilla and mix until just combined.

5.    Pour into prepared tin and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until inserted skewer comes out clean. Cover the cake with foil if necessary to prevent overbrowning.

Cupcakes

For cupcakes reduce the baking temperature to 170°C (150°C fan-forced) and bake for 14-18 minutes until inserted skewer comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting

250g (1 package) cream cheese, softened

140g (1 cup) icing sugar/mixture

2 teaspoons lemon/lime juice

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add icing sugar, then juice and beat until creamy and delicious. More icing sugar can be added depending on taste and desired consistency.

This is a very cream cheesy frosting which I love, but I also use this cream cheese frosting which contains some butter. Lemon glace icing also goes really well with banana cake.

Glace Icing

210g (1½ cups) icing sugar/mixture

1 teaspoon butter, softened

2 tablespoons lemon/lime juice

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and mix until smooth and spreadable. Spread over the cake and allow to set.

                                                             Enjoy!