The Cake Slice: Banana Cake

If you’ve been around these parts for awhile, then you know that the banana cake is held in high regard in my little circle of the world.  My last attempt at replicating the holy grail of cupcakes was well received but, in my opinion, forgetable.  So I was ready to make my second attempt, this time with some variations, in this month’s Cake Slice.

One of the biggest changes this time around was the use of chocolate frosting instead of the ubiquitous cream cheese frosting.  I don’t know where I went wrong with this frosting, but I failed miserably at making it.  But I’m kind of glad I did.  Past experience with frostings from this cookbook have left me feeling sick to my stomach due to extreme sweetness.  So instead I choose a Martha chocolate frosting recipe which I was quite happy with the result.  Just one thing to note – don’t refrigerate this frosting,  it firms up too much and is never as light and creamy as when first made.

This recipe also used buttermilk instead of sour cream, which I feel lent a more mellow tang to the finished dessert.  I think that the next time I make this recipe I will substitue cake flour for some or all of the AP flour to give it the light, airy texture that I’m looking for.

The other major variation this time was in the finished product.  I made a full recipe and used half to make a 6-inch cake and used the rest to make some banana cake pops to sell at the National Food Bloggers Bake Sale over the weekend.

Sadly, I forgot to take pictures of the cake.  I swear, I’m such a bad blogger sometimes.  But I did get some good shots of the cake pops.

If you have time, don’t forget to check out the creations of other Cake Slice bakers.  The recipe can be found here.

Banana cupcakes and a birthday

I treat birthdays as the one day of the year when I get to request any dessert that I am craving.  When I was younger, my poison of choice on my birthday was a strawberry cake from Aki’s Bakery.  Just thinking about that cake now is making my mouth water.

Nowadays, while I won’t pass up a slice of this memory-filled cake, I like to vary my birthday requests.  It could be the biggest, most elaborate, decadent chocolate cake or a simple but incredibly satisfying snickerdoodle.

Matt happens to be so lucky to be married to this little baker.  So his birthday request this year was banana cupcakes.  He claims that he doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but he won’t ever pass up a banana cupcake.  I, on the other hand, can take ’em or leave ’em.  Banana cupcakes were never really on my radar, until I had a banana cupcake from Icing on the Cake.  They must put something in these cupcakes to make them so addictive.  And the frosting!  The cream cheese frosting!  Don’t get me started on the frosting.  If I could just figure out how to make that frosting, I think I could die a happy baker.

So his request was for me to replicate these highly esteemed banana cupcakes in our tiny, humble kitchen.  I let him dream big for me sometimes because I knew that there was no way I was going to achieve the status that these cupcakes have in my circle of friends, especially the first time making them.

But I think I made a valiant first effort.  I used a Martha recipe and it called for roasting the bananas first, which created a much deeper banana flavor than using raw bananas would.  The cupcakes were moist, maybe a little too moist when compared to their muse.  And there was cream cheese frosting of course.  He even let me stencil his age in cocoa powder on the tops (I guess he wasn’t so traumatized about turning 28).  But I definitely have a way to go before I can recreate cupcakes, so I guess some more taste testing and comparisons are in order.  I don’t think he nor I will have any problems with that!

What are some of your all-time favorite birthday dessert requests?

Roasted Banana Cupcakes

Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Cupcakes

Makes 16 cupcakes

3 ripe bananas

2 cups cake flour, sifted

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs, separated

1/2 cup sour cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Place the bananas, with skins still on, on a rimmed baking sheet.  Roast in the oven for 15 minutes; the skin will darken.  Remove from oven and let cool completely before peeling.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.  Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.  Sift together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.  Add the egg yolks, one at a time, incorporating fully after each addition, scraping the bowl as you go along.  Add the roasted bananas and beat to combine.  Add the flour in three batches, alternating with the sour cream.  Beat until just combined and add the vanilla.

In another clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold the egg whites into the batter in batches until just combined.

Fill the lined muffin cups evenly with batter, filling about 3/4 full.  Bake, rotating tins half way, about 20 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.  Cupcakes will keep up to three days in an airtight container.

The cream cheese frosting recipe can be found here.  I left out the sour cream and grated orange peel this time and it still makes a nice cream cheese frosting.