Fantabulous Food: Banana Cake à la 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook

It has been an age since I posted any recipes on the blog, so when others showed interest in this cake on my Instagram I thought it would be the perfect way to lead back into some Fantabulous Food posts :) This recipe was brought to my attention through @stewardesstiffany on Instagram because she is always saying it is the best cake ever and I just had to check for myself, so she was kidn enough to send me the recipe. Thanks, Tiffany! Online friends are the best. This cake is definitely a winner - it sounded strange to me at first. Banana Cake? Really? Is it like banana bread? But no, it is not except that it is also delicious and contains bananas. The original recipe comes from a 1950s Betty Crocker Cookbook, so the directions are old style. This one is not to be missed though, so I wanted to post it here for any other banana lovers. Anyway, let's get making a cake!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2/3 cup shortening
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/4 cups mashed ripe bananas
2 large eggs
2/3 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 - 2 tsp cinnamon

 1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9" round cake pans. Sift together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon) and whisk to combine.

2. Mash your bananas - I used 4 medium bananas, but depending on the size of your bananas it may take more or less. I like to put them in a bowl and just go to town with a fork until there are no large chunks.

 3. Combine shortening and buttermilk in a small bowl and combine slightly - it's kind of impossible to mix these thoroughly.

4. Add all of the bananas and half of the liquid mixture. Mix on medium high for  30 seconds.

 5. Add eggs and the rest of the liquid mixture. Mix for 2 minutes on medium high, scraping the bowl frequently.

You want your mixture to be nice and fluffy and smooth like regular cake batter.

 6. Pour equal amounts of batter into 2 prepared cake pans and bake at 350F for 30 - 35 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.

 7. Cool on baking rack in pan completely, running a knife around the rim to release while they are still warm.

 8. Frost with American Buttercream frosting - I didn't grab that recipe but there are plenty available online.

And it's ready for your to slice and enjoy :) I like to keep the cake in the fridge just because I live in Florida and buttercream can be a bit slippery in the heat, but it's not absolutely necessary. I made this for Easter and it was a big hit.

This is what the original recipe looks like, lol. I'm so glad I was alerted to this cake. It really is so yummy and I never thought I would be making banana cake. I hope you enjoy, and let me know if you make this up! Let's keep the banana cake awareness going!