When Bananas Go Bad

I know, I know, yesterday I announced I can't fasten my jeans and today it's baby banana cakes. What can I say? The bananas were originally bought to eat with low fat Greek yogurt (which is pretty damned good stuff, I might add), but then I sort of ignored them and now they are exacting revenge: "oh, so you think you can buy us and then abandon us? Well, think again! We're going to call in the fruit flies if you don't do something NOW!"

What else could I do? Okay, sure, I didn't have to make cake. I could have made a nice healthy whole wheat banana bread. But where, I ask you, is the fun in that?

The basic recipe is below, but I made some changes: first, the recipe calls for 8-inch cake pans and I only have 9-inch, which meant I was going to have a short-looking layer cake. I hate short layer cakes. To me a layer cake should be tall and proud. So I used my nine inch pans, but then cut three 4-inch circles out of each layer to make three baby layer cakes. Then I split each little layer to make tall and majestic 4-layer baby cakes.

You might be wondering what I intend to do with the cake scraps. Well, naturally I had to sample the cake and make sure it was good (it was). The rest of the scraps have gone into the freezer, as I have an idea for really decadent little banana bread puddings.

Banana Cake with Caramel Frosting

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 small to medium bananas)
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon lemon extract
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soured milk or buttermilk

In a large mixing bowl cream the butter and sugar. Add the mashed bananas and beat well. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla and lemon extracts and the chopped nuts.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt and add it to the creamed mixture alternately with the  buttermilk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.Pour the batter into 2 buttered and floured (or butter and line bottom with waxed paper) 8-inch cake pans.

Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove from pans and cool thoroughly on racks.

Caramel Frosting

This stuff is (as Jack observed) "mad sweet," and a little goes a very long way, particularly on a small cake where so much surface area can be covered. This is why the sides of my little babies remain bare. Also, if you let the hot caramel cool longer you won't need to add nearly as much powdered sugar.

2 cups dark brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tablespoons butter
dash salt
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Walnuts or pecans for garnishing

In a saucepan, combine the brown sugar, butter, salt, and milk, bringing it to a boil over medium heat. Boil 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand 8 to 10 minutes. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar with an electric mixer. Continue beating until you have a good spreading consistency and then add vanilla,  blending well. Frost the cake and decorate with the walnuts or pecans. You can also drizzle with chocolate, if you want to make sure your favorite jeans never fit again.

Comments

[adele]

Mmm. That looks deliciously decadent. :)

[Ben]

I perfectly understand the dilemma of eating something healthy against eating something full of flavor. But it's always worth it, isn't it?

[Manggy]

You're telling me! My pants button just popped *reading* the ingredient list! :) I've read bananas freeze well, though they will have to be mashed and brown: but they probably should end up in cake anyway :)

[Ruth E]

Hey! thanks for stopping by my blog... have just been browsing yours and loving it. I also have some bananas that will need used up soon so I might just make a cake like this!

[frenchtart]

ooh! looks so wonderful! and i'm totally stealing your idea for cake scraps. i never thought to use them for bread pudding before.

[núria]

Wow Ann! I've just started my diet because I had the same problem with my jeans... Any idea of how many calories a piece of your beautiful cake can have? ;-)

[grace]

mushy old bananas are a great excuse to make and eat caramel frosting by the finger-full (as if i needed an excuse). :)

[brilynn]

Elastic waistbands are the way to go... I've got bananas on the counter that I'm just waiting for to turn brown so I can make something great like this!

[Lydia (The Perfect Pantry)]

I like the idea of a bread pudding with the leftovers -- will be watching for that recipe!

[Johanna]

I don't fancy banana bread much til I make it and then I love it to death (if that makes any sense) - but I am hoping you blog about your banana bread puddings - sounds fantastic!

[Aran]

That's what I'm talking about, a tower of bananas and caramel. Yum!

[Ellie @ Kitchen Wench]

That's quite a majestic layer cake, I'd say your planned worked a treat ;) I wish I had some brown bananas though - whenever I buy them they're devoured by my brother, I think I'll have to resort to hiding them if I'm ever to have a chance of baking some beautiful banana cakes like yours anytime soon :(

[Deborah]

The cake sounds delicious, but that frosting is really catching my attention!

[RecipeGirl]

So cute! And I love the idea of Caramel Frosting!!!

[Nicisme]

I am such a banana fan, your cake looks wonderful! I am always messing about with recipes too, can't wait to see the banana bread puddings.

[Lore]

Caramel, bananas and pecans make a deadly combination...in a good way that is :)

[Rosie]

This is a stunning banana cake!! Just LOVE the Caramel Frosting!!! :D

Rosie x