Saturday, April 6, 2013

Old Fashioned Banana Cake

It's that time of year again, where the flowers are blooming, spring is coming and business is slow. Just because life has died down at the café doesn't mean she's not open for business.
Stella's is not always the bustling exciting place as it seems, but there will always be baking!
Today on her counter there is a delicious banana cake she hopes you'll love as much as her.


Old Fashioned Banana Cake-adapted from Whitewater Cooks at Home

This entire recipe (including the icing) can be doubled to make a beautiful layer cake perfect for a party!

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 large bananas, mashed
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp vinegar
1/4 cup warm water
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Grease and line the bottom of one 9 by 9 inch pan with parchment paper
In a large mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add mashed bananas and beat the batter until combined.
Combine the milk and vinegar in a medium sized bowl or large measuring cup. Add warm water and vnilla. Stir in baking soda. The mixture will fix up a bit. Set aside.
Mix together flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Add to the batter in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture in two, mixing gently between each addition until just blended.
Fold in the walnuts and pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for about 45 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
Cool for 20 minutes before removing from the pan.

Deliciously Delectable Icing that Makes this Cake so Delicious!
1/2 cup butter
1 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp boiling water
1 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup toasted coconut

Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
Add boiling water and beat well.
Beat in the milk and vanilla and whip for about 2 minutes until icing is light and fluffy.
Spread the icing on the cake and garnish with the toasted coconut!

Enjoy!



Writing and photography by Emma.

4 comments:

  1. Is there a way of doing it without the milk or the butter otherwise it looks lovely. And is the vinegar to sour the milk.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, of course. You can use vegetable shortening - do you have Crisco over there? Or lard. And instead of milk try coconut milk, which could be lovely with the banana.
      I'm not very good at the science of baking, but the vinegar usually is to react with the baking soda for leavening. I don't think the milk is necessary for leavening.
      For the icing, just replace the butter with either coconut cream (very thick and available in cans or in a powder form which you add water to) or shortening, and the milk with either more water or coconut milk.

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  2. OH my...coconut added too....I cannot WAIT!

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  3. Cooking, baking, and serving are truly in Stella's heart.

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