I Went Bananas On Friday: Banana Cake

I went bananas on Friday.....

I had five very ripe bananas that needed to be used, so I created banana bread and a banana cake on Friday.

I smelled bananas all day long...

Bananas - Did you know that bananas are considered a perennial herb? I didn't know that either.

I have always thought that bananas were considered a fruit.

The banana tree isn't even considered a tree. It is a perennial herb that doesn't even have a true tree trunk. The trunk of the so called tree is actually many leaves tightly wrapped around a single stem. At the top of the stem is the fruit bearing flower. The flower produces the bananas.

When the flower produces bananas it takes a year before the bananas are even ripe enough to eat.

A whole year?? And bananas are one of the most un-thought of fruits in the U.S.

We always have plenty of bananas year round, not giving any thought to the harvesting technique.

I took the banana herb that I had on my kitchen counter and produced this sweet tasting cake.

This recipe caught my attention because the cake is baked at 275 degrees F.

What kind of cake is baked at 275? It will never get done at that temperature.

I tried this recipe, and to my amazement was extra, extra satisfied. UNBELIEVABLE!!

Another thing that caught my attention is, the cake is placed in the freezer directly from the oven.

What??

Well, as I researched this recipe even more, I found out that placing the cake in the freezer from the oven is what keeps the cake moist. GENIUS!!


I like to let my bananas get almost a pure brown skin before I bake with them. The darker the skin, the sweeter the fruit (herb).



Bananas are a great source of potassium and fiber and should be kept at room temperature.

The general information on one single banana (7-8 inches):

Water: 88.39
Calories: 105
Protein: 1.29 g
Carbohydrates: 26.95 g
Fiber: 3.1 g
Sugars: 14.43 g
Total Fat: 0.39 g
Saturated Fat: 0.132 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg

Sounds pretty healthy to me. I have also noticed that a banana is a very good appetite suppressant.

If you're a little hungry, eat a banana....

Banana Cake

3/4 c. butter (soft)
2 1/8 c. granulated sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 c. flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 1/2 c. mashed bananas (2 large)
3/4 of a small jar of maraschino cherries, chopped

Preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
Grease and flour a 9x13 inch baking pan.
In a small bowl mix mashed bananas, maraschino cherries, and lemon juice; set aside.
In a medium bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In large bowl, ream 3/4 c. butter and 2 1/8 c. sugar until light and fluffy (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer).
Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp. vanilla.
Beat in the flour mixture alternately with buttermilk, ending with the flour mixture.
Stir in banana mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour (mine usually takes a little longer). Remove from oven and place directly into freezer for 45 minutes.

Frosting:

1/2 c. butter, soft
1 (8 oz) pkg. cream cheese, soft
3 1/2 c. confectioners sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

In large bowl, cream 1/2 c. butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla.
Add confectioners sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high until frosting is smooth.

Frost cake after removing from freezer. Sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Good Luck~Happy Eating~Enjoy