Banana-Caramel Cake
- Reviews 2
Ready In: 1 hr 15 mins
Serves: 12
Yields: 1 9" Frosted Cake
Ingredients
CAKE
- 2 1⁄2 cups cake flour
- 2 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1⁄4 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1⁄2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1⁄2 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup very ripe mashed banana (about 2 bananas)
- 2 1⁄2 cups caramel icing
CARAMEL ICING
- 3 cups light brown sugar
- 1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream
- 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice (don't use the bottled kind, please)
- 5 tablespoons butter, cold, cut into pieces
Directions
- PREPARE THE CAKE:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF.
- Using a small brush, lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or vegetable-oil cooking spray.
- Dust with flour, tap out any excess, and set aside.
- Over a surface covered with a large sheet of waxed or parchment paper, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Into a medium bowl, resift the flour mixture and set aside.
- In a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the butter until light -- about 1 minute.
- Add the sugar and continue to beat for 2 more minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition, and mix in the vanilla.
- Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and bananas and ending with the dry ingredients.
- Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition.
- BAKE THE CAKE:
- Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven until a tester inserted into each cake layer comes out clean -- 25 to 30 minutes.
- Cool in the cake pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Using a knife, loosen the cake layers from the pan sides and invert the layers onto the wire rack to cool completely.
- PREPARE THE ICING:
- In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, stir sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice together.
- Cook the mixture, without stirring, over medium-high heat to soft-ball stage (238ºF).
- Remove from heat and cool the caramel mixture to 140º F.
- Place the butter on top of the cooled caramel mixture.
- Remove the thermometer and, using a handheld mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the caramel until it thickens enough to hold its shape, lightens in color, and changes from translucent to opaque -- about 5 minutes.
- ICE THE CAKE:
- Use a serrated knife to trim the mounded side of the cake layers, if necessary.
- Line the edges of a cake plate with 3-inch-wide strips of waxed or parchment paper and place a cake layer, trimmed side down, on top.
- Place 1 cup Caramel Icing on top of the layer and spread evenly.
- Place the second layer, trimmed side down, on the first and cover the top and sides with the remaining icing.
- Apply icing immediately.
- ENJOY!
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