Southern Living Marvelous Banana Cake

Submitted by Roxygirl in Colorado

"This cake is special enough for birthdays, since I made it for my son's first! He loved banana bread (still does!!) so it seemed a natural pick. The Banana-nut frosting is unique or try your own favorite. Note: the frosting calls for both 16 ounces powdered sugar PLUS 3 cups flour."

 

• Ready In: 1hr 10mins
• Ingredients: 18
• Yields: 3 layer cake

ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 3 cups sugar
• 2 cups mashed bananas
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 3 3⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons Bourbon (I used juice) or 2 tablespoons orange juice (I used juice)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (can be omitted)

• Banana Nut Frosting

• 1⁄2 cup mashed banana
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1⁄3 cup butter, softened
• 16 ounces powdered sugar, sifted PLUS an additional
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3 -4 tablespoons milk
• 1 cup coconut, toasted (I omitted)
• 2⁄3 cup finely chopped pecans (I omitted)

directions

1. Cream butter; gradually add sugar, beating will at medium speed of an electric mixer.
2. Add bananas; mix until smooth.
3. Stir in eggs.
4. Combine flour and baking soda; add to banana mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture (mixing after each addition).
5. Stir in vanilla, bourbon (or juice) and pecans.
6. Pour batter into 3 greased and floured 9 inch round cake pans.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes; cool in pans 10 minutes and remove cake from pans.
8. Cool completely on wire racks.
9. Spread Banana Nut Frosting between layers and on top of cake.
10. Yield: one 3 layer cake.

11. Banana Nut Frosting:

12. Combine banana and lemon juice; set mixture aside.
13. Cream softened butter at medium speed of an electric mixer; add powdered sugar and milk and mix well.
14. Add banana mixture, beating until fluffy.
15. Stir in toasted coconut and chopped pecans.
16. Yield: 3 1/2 cups.

Reviews

[betsysmith]

I made this cake today and was so looking forward to it. The cake turned out great. The Banana Nut Frosting was a disaster. I got the recipes from the Southern Living Cookbook. I should have known that one box of powdered sugar plus 3 cups was wrong. I found this same recipe on another web site by Roxy Girl and it says 1 box of powdered sugar OR 3 cups powdered sugar. I also found some place else where the recipe had 1 box of powdered sugar plus 3 cups of FLOUR. Even I know the flour is not right. Someone needs to review the recipe for this frosting and put the real recipe on line. I'm throwing this thing away. The only reason it got 2 stars instead of 1 is because the cake is very good. Maybe one day I will have the energy to try it again with a different frosting or make this frosting again only using 3 cups of powdered sugar.

 

[zanne]

OMG - this is the BEST cake I have ever eaten. I took it to work and nearly everyone asked for the recipe. However, I use vanilla butter frosting instead of the one listed here. It tastes just like Sara Lee Banana cake.