Old Fashioned Banana Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

One layer 9" Cake Just Right for the Two of Us.

There was a banana cake I made all of the time when the kids were home with a brown sugar candy frosting and this cake reminded me how much we liked it.  Another reason to try it is it is a smaller cake.  Just one 9" layer which makes much more since for the two of us, especially on a weekday.  We usually have company for Sunday dinner which calls for something larger.

Anyway.....I love Ina Garten (The Barefoot Contessa) and caught her making this for a bake sale on TV one day and jotted down the recipe to try.  She has never disappointed me so I was sure my version of her cake would turn out to be just great!  And it did, both beautiful and delicious.

Ingredient List for Banana Cake and Frosting:

3 ripe bananas mashed
3/4 C. sugar
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 C. canola oil
1/2 C. sour cream
fresh zest of 1 orange
1 t. vanilla
2 C. flour
1 t. soda
1/2 t. kosher salt
1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Butter and flour a 9" x  2" deep pan, (I used a spring form) and set it aside.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the bananas and sugars in the bottom of a large mixing bowl and beat well on low speed.  While the mixer runs on low add the eggs, oil, sour cream,zest, and vanilla.  Mixing well.

In a separate bowl combine the flour, soda, and salt.  Whisk together and add the nuts tossing them to coat well.  This should help keep them afloat in the cake batter.  Add the flour and nuts to the batter and mix until all ingredients are wet and combined.  Do not over mix.

Pour the batter into the prepare pan and bake for 50 minutes.  Remove from the oven and let it sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.  Then remove from the pan and finish cooling on a rack.  Yield 8 servings.

Ingredient List for Cream Cheese Frosting for 9"  One Layer  Cake:

6 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
6 T. butter at room temperature
1 t. good vanilla extract
2 1/2 C. sifted confectioners sugar
1 T. powdered egg whites
pinch of salt

Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at low speed until just combined. Sift the powdered sugar onto a sheet of waxed paper and add the powdered egg whites and salt. Add to the creamed mixture and beat just long enough to blend.  Frost the cake.  Yield, frosting for one 9" layer.

This is a tall one layer cake and I would NOT advise you to bake in in the older style 9" x 1 1/2" cake pan.  It think would run over the sides of the pan.  The newer pans are 2" tall or use a spring form pan.