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Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Speaking of Bananas

I've been debating on whether it's okay for me to share this and have decided that I think it's okay, as I've seen a few of my favorite bloggers share more recipes from that now (I'd say) famous book, Baking: From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan. Oh yes, my friends, I did not stop baking from it after the Cookbook Spotlight event, oh noo I did not. :D

Banana Cake

You see that picture? That's me showing off my brand new fancy pants Bundt pan. Okay well it's that AND it's showing off the best freaking banana cake recipe in all the world. I thought I had a really good banana cake/bread recipe in my repertoire already, but oh how wrong I was. This is now my favorite and I truly doubt I'll ever go in search of a new recipe again. Moist, extremely banana-y, not too dense and with each passing day it just kept getting better and better. All of that and I even think I baked it too long. It browned up pretty quick in my new cake pan, next time I'll shave a good 5 minutes off and cover it with foil around the 30 minute mark. I didn't even wait for my bananas to ripen much. But by the taste you would think that they were brown/black by the time I used them and they weren't at all. There's even an added bonus to this recipe - you will not believe how good your WHOLE house will smell while this baby is baking. Hello!

To give credit where credit is due, this is not an original Dorie recipe, but a favorite recipe of Emily Einstein, who with her husband, Dan, owns Sweet Sixteenth bakery in Nashville. Way to go Emily! =)

Banana Cake slice
Classic Banana Bundt Cake
Adapted from Baking: From My Home To Yours by Dorie Greenspan, Houghton Mifflin Company, November 2006

3 c. all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 sticks (8 oz.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 c. sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, preferably at room temperature
about 4 very ripe bananas, mashed (you should have 1 1/2-1 3/4 cups)
1 c. sour cream or plain yogurt
1 generous tsp. vietnamese cinnamon (Optional, recipe didn't call for it but I always add cinnamon to banana cake/bread)

Getting Ready:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350ยบ F. Generously butter a 9- to 10-inch (12-cup) Bundt pan. (If you've got a silicone Bundt pan, there is no need to butter it.) Don't place the pan on a baking sheet - you want the oven's heat to circulate through the Bundt's inner tube.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon, if using, together.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter until creamy. Add the sugar and beat at medium speed until pale and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating for about 1 minute after each egg goes in. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the bananas. Finally, mix in half of the dry ingredients (don't be disturbed when the batter curdles), all the sour cream and then the rest of the flour mixture. Scrape the batter into the pan, rap the pan on the counter to de-bubble the batter and smooth the top.

Bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center of the cake comes out clean. Check the cake after about 30 minutes - if it is browning too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a rack and cool for 10 minutes before unmolding onto the rack to cool to room temperature.

If you've got the time, wrap the cooled cake in plastic and allow it to sit on the counter overnight before serving - it's better the next day.

Dorie also provides a Lemony White icing recipe to drizzle over the top of the cake, but I didn't feel it needed anything to improve it.

Lemony White Icing:
Sift 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar into a bowl and squeeze enough fresh lemon juice (start with 2 tsp. and add more by drops) to make an icing thin enough to drizzle down the Bundt's curves.

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Comments on "Speaking of Bananas"

 

Blogger Brilynn said ... (11/22/2006 10:32 AM) : 

I will never get tired of seeing what people create from this cookbook. Nor will I tire of cakes baked in molds...

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/22/2006 10:48 AM) : 

I checked Dorie's book out of the library but somehow I missed this recipe. Now I KNOW what I'm baking next from that book. :D Your cake looks so moist and delicious, yum!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/22/2006 10:50 AM) : 

That looks fab!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/22/2006 12:35 PM) : 

That looks sensational Lis! I'm a fan of banana cake or bread, but I'm always a little biased to Cardamom and sneak that in every version that I bake :)!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/22/2006 3:40 PM) : 

If you say it's the best I believe you. I've printed the recipe out to try for myself as I'm a big fan of things you can bake a day or too in advance. As always - YUM!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/22/2006 9:43 PM) : 

I made it the other day and was about to blog about it tonight, but when I saw yours I changed topics. It is gorgeous. I have made 4 so far, everybody devours and loves it. I added mini chocolate chips to one of them and it was delicious.
Beautiful!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/23/2006 6:42 AM) : 

Looks like an awesome tin - I love the shape of the cake! And there can never be too many banana cake recipes in the world :D

 

Blogger Lis said ... (11/23/2006 7:59 AM) : 

Brilynn - I couldn't agree with you more.

Anon - Thanks! And yes, you HAVE to make this cake!

LR - Thanks! It really was groovy!

Monisha - Oh my that does sound good.. I think I'll try a lil cardamom in it as well, thanks hon!

Morv - It really did get even better day after day.

Helen - blog about yours please! I'd love to see it and read about your experience with it. I knew of the banana love in your house and wondered if you'd made this yet. The chocolate addition sounds heavenly. :D

 

Blogger Lis said ... (11/23/2006 8:00 AM) : 

Ellie muh luv - aint she perty? hehe I've wanted one like that since I saw it on someone's blog months and months ago.. finally found a place that carried a few different from the norm bundt pans so I couldn't pass it up. hee!

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/23/2006 10:10 AM) : 

Ohhhhh mamma mia!!! This cake is gorgeous! It is one of my favorite... I discovered it last year in Singapore.
Ciao.

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (11/23/2006 10:19 PM) : 

Mmmmmmm ... banana cake! Love the Bundt pan design!

 

Blogger angel said ... (7/08/2007 7:42 AM) : 

This is the best Banana cake ever. Very moist and falvourful. My search has 4 banana cake has ended with this one. The only problem I have is that whenever I use only Baking soda in a cake recipe it gives a bitter taste in the finished product and same happened with this one and the apple cake that I made.

Can you pls advise what can I do to correct taht bitter aftertaste.

 

Blogger Lis said ... (7/08/2007 10:51 AM) : 

Hi Seema - Isn't this the best banana cake EVER!! hehe You wrote on a very lucky day as I've got a REAL French pastry chef sitting right next to me and she suggests cutting down the baking soda to 1 tsp. or substituting the baking soda for 1 tsp. baking powder.

I hope that helps!!

xoxo

 

Anonymous Anonymous said ... (2/05/2008 6:00 AM) : 

Hi Lis

Tks 4 ur reply.

YOu suggested "cutting down the baking soda to 1 tsp. or substituting the baking soda for 1 tsp. baking powder".

Jes to make it more clear I want to know that instead of 2tsp Baking Soda I put jes 1 tsp Baking powder. Will that be enuf.

Tks in advance.

 

Blogger Lis said ... (2/05/2008 6:11 AM) : 

Hi Anon :)

Well, I had Helene from Tartelette visiting me when I wrote that, and those were her instructions. I've never had the problem with the bitter taste from baking soda, so I've never tried substituting it.

I guess my only advice would be to A- try it, I think the only thing that could go wrong is that the cake won't rise as much? But I'm not sure. or B- click on the link above and ask Helene to be sure. She's extremely helpful and loves to answer reader's questions. :)

Good luck! Please let me know how it turns out!

xoxo

 

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