Nana Banana
A little richer and a little taller, an old-fashioned favorite still holds up to family scrutiny.
Julie was raised on her mother's exceptional banana cake, a confection Ghita Riven made once a week in a battered baking pan. Over the years, while sending many (many!) cakes to the oven, Julie fiddled with the recipe and developed a new formula. She eliminated her mother's vegetable shortening long ago, adding butter in its place, but recently decided to enrich the batter even more with a dollop of cream cheese. The new Nana's banana cake, which Julie carries to wedding showers, graduation buffets, and all kinds of dinners with family and friends, is baked in a 10-inch tube pan so the dessert is high and impressive on the table. Sometimes, when she's in a hurry, she dusts the top with confectioners' sugar. Other times, she spreads a cream cheese frosting, a banana-cream frosting, or a chocolate-fudge frosting over the golden confection, making this old family favorite downright glamorous.
NANA'S BANANA CAKE, THE NEXT GENERATION
MAKES ONE LARGE 10-INCH CAKE
Julie's mother never iced her cake because her family preferred it plain. Choose one of the frostings on this page or simply dust it with confectioners' sugar. Butter (for the pan) Flour (for the pan)
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
14 tablespoons (1 stick plus 6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons cream cheese, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, beaten to mix
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 small to medium ripe bananas, mashed (enough to make 2 cups)
Confectioners' sugar or 1 recipe frosting (see right) Set the oven at 350 degrees. Butter a 10-inch tube pan. Line the bottom with parchment cut to fit it. Butter the paper and dust it with flour.
In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt.
In an electric mixer, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping down the bowl. Add the granulated sugar and beat on medium for 2 minutes, scraping occasionally.
Beat in the eggs, vanilla, and bananas.
Add the flour mixture to the batter and beat just until well blended.
Pour the batter into the pan and tap the pan once on the counter to release any air pockets. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the center springs back when gently pressed in the middle and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out dry.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool for 30 minutes. With a slender knife, cut around the inside and outside of the cake to release it from the pan. Turn the cake out on a wire rack. Then turn it right side up. Set on a cake stand and let it cool. Frost the cake or dust it with confectioners' sugar.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
MAKES ENOUGH TO FROST ONE LARGE CAKE
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 box (1 pound) confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
In an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the vanilla. Continue beating for about half a minute or until the frosting is smooth. Spread on the top and sides of the cake.
BANANA-CREAM FROSTING
MAKES ENOUGH TO FROST ONE LARGE CAKE
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 box (1 pound) confectioners' sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 small ripe banana, mashed
In an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute. Gradually add the sugar, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Beat in the vanilla and banana. Continue beating for about half a minute or until the frosting is silky. Spread on the top and sides of the cake.
CHOCOLATE-FUDGE FROSTING
MAKES ENOUGH TO FROST
ONE LARGE CAKE
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 box (1 pound) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/3, to 1/2 cup whole milk, heated until just warm, or more if necessary
In a bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder and sugar.
In an electric mixer, cream the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, scraping the sides of the bowl.
Gradually add the cocoa mixture to the butter, mixing well after each addition and scraping the sides of the bowl. Beat in the vanilla.
Gradually beat in enough of the warm milk to make a frosting that holds its shape.
Continue beating for about half a minute or until the frosting is smooth. Spread on the top and sides of the cake. 