Cakes and Frostings

Banana Cake

Servings

9-12

Level

Easy

Ingredients

  • 2 ½ cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 bananas)
  • ⅓ to ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (1 stick) Challenge Unsalted Butter
  • 1 ½ cups sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup chopped walnuts

Directions

  • 1
    Heat mashed bananas in microwave about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.* Put hot mashed bananas in a mesh strainer over a small bowl. Strain the pulp for about 15 minutes stirring frequently. There should be about a cup of strained pulp and ¾ cup liquid. Reserve the pulp. Pour the liquid into a small sauce pan, bring to a boil and reduce the volume by half. Pour concentrated liquid into a one-cup glass measuring cup and allow to cool.
  • 2
    Preheat oven to 350⁰F. Butter a 9-inch square pan.
  • 3
    Add buttermilk to banana liquid so liquid level measures ⅔ cup. Add vanilla and set aside.
  • 4
    Cream butter and sugar.
  • 5
    Blend eggs and banana pulp into butter/sugar mixture.
  • 6
    Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
  • 7
    Add dry ingredients, alternating with banana liquid/buttermilk mixture. Mix until well blended. Pour into prepared pan.
  • 8
    Sprinkle nuts evenly over top of batter. Bake 40 minutes or until cake tests done.
  •  !
    An alternative method is to put bananas in a freezer bag, mash them flat, freeze solid and then thaw. This will also release the liquid which can then be concentrated. You can take advantage of the 1 or 2 too-soft-to-eat bananas by freezing the ripe banana pulp until enough saved to make bread. Putting sliced bananas in a food storage sized zip-loc bag (remove air) makes them easier and less messy to mash.