Sweet Things Remembered

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Sweet and moist banana cake with walnuts folded in and topped with a decadent cream cheese frosting.

My grandma made lots of different desserts and loved to try new recipes, but there are some recipes that I remember her making more often. One of those was banana nut cake with cream cheese frosting. I especially remember her making this whenever my grandpa’s sisters Leona and Loretta as well as Leona’s son Brad would come to visit. Banana nut cake is Brad’s favorite. They would come to stay, and because we lived right across the street, we would always be over there visiting with them, gathered around the table playing cards and laughing at all their antics until the early hours of the morning. And, of course, we’d also be snacking on whatever goodies my grandma had made, banana nut cake included. There was one specific time I remember that we were playing cards, likely the game 2500, and between each hand Brad would stand up and say, “Cake time,” and then go get another piece. My brother and I would laugh and join in saying his phrase because he kept doing it. It was probably three or four times before anyone else realized what was going on, and we all just laughed.

I know this memory probably seems like a simple one and a you-had-to-be-there moment, but it’s those kinds of simple things I miss the most about my grandparents. I miss being gathered around the table eating cake and playing cards. I miss the sound of their laughter and the smiles on their faces. I miss the smell of their house when you walked in and turning the corner to see my grandma sitting in her spot at the kitchen table. I just miss them. So, as I enjoy each “cake time” with this delicious banana nut cake (I promise I won’t have 3 or 4 pieces at one time), I’ll be remembering them and thanking God for the blessing of having had such wonderful grandparents in my life.

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• Shortening (Crisco)
• All-Purpose Flour
• Sugar
• Baking Powder
• Baking Soda
• Salt
• Mashed, Overripe Bananas
• Buttermilk (or soured milk)
• Eggs
• Chopped Walnuts

For the Icing:

• Cream Cheese
• Butter
• Powdered Sugar
• Vanilla
• Milk (if needed)

Equipment

• Electric stand or hand mixer
• Cake Pans – You can use either one 9×13 cake pan or two 9 inch round cake pans. My grandma would always do a 9×13, but I decided to do a round cake this time.
• Cooling Rack
• Measuring Tools
• Offset Spatula – This is a special kind of spatula designed for icing cakes. You can use whatever you would like for icing on your cake, but using an offset spatula helps to get the icing more smooth and evenly spread.

How to Make Banana Nut Cake

Step 1: Make the Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350° and grease your cake pans (either a 9×13 pan or two 9 inch round pans). I also add a circle of parchment paper at the bottom of my pans.
• In your mixing bowl, add 2/3 cup shortening.
• Next, sift in 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 and 2/3 cup sugar, 1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.
• Add in 1 and 1/4 cup mashed bananas and half of the buttermilk (1/3 cup).
  • If you do not have buttermilk, add 1 tbsp of white vinegar to 2/3 cup of regular milk. This will make soured milk that works just the same as buttermilk.
• Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, and then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining buttermilk (1/3 cup) and 2 eggs, and then beat another 2 minutes.
• Fold in 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • When I baked my cake, it actually took 50 minutes for my cakes to bake. I am not sure if it was my pans, or something else, but the recipe my grandma used said 35 minutes. Best practice would be to check it at 35 minutes and keep going in 5 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake are cool, you can ice them.

Step 2: Make the Icing and Ice the Cake

• Cream together 8oz of softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup (1 stick) of softened butter.
• Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until fully combined.
• Add in 1-2 tsp of vanilla and another 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
• If needed, add in 1-2 tbsp of milk to reach desired consistency.
  • You could use milk, heavy cream, half and half, etc., just whatever you have that will help thin it out to your desired consistency.
• Ice your cake to your liking and enjoy!

Questions You May Have

Banana Nut Cake

Recipe by rebekahdearmondDifficulty: Easy

Servings

16

servings

Prep time

20

minutes

Baking time

35

minutes

Ingredients

• For the Cake:

• 2/3 cup shortening

• 2-1/2 cups all purpose flour

• 1-2/3 cup sugar

• 1-1/4 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1-1/4 cup mashed, overripe bananas

• 2/3 cup buttermilk, or soured milk

• 2 eggs

• 2/3 cup chopped walnuts

• For the Icing:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup butter, softened

• 6 cups powdered sugar

• 1-2 tsp vanilla

• 1-2 tbsp milk, if needed

Directions

• For the Cake:
• Preheat your oven to 350° and grease your cake pans (either a 9×13 pan or two 9 inch round pans).
• In your mixing bowl, add 2/3 cup shortening.
• Next, sift in 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 and 2/3 cup sugar, 1 and 1/4 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt.
• Add in 1 and 1/4 cup mashed bananas and half of the buttermilk (1/3 cup)
• Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, and then beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining buttermilk (1/3 cup) and 2 eggs, and then beat another 2 minutes.
• Fold in 2/3 cup of chopped walnuts.
• Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  _{When I baked my cake, it actually took 50 minutes for my cakes to bake. I am not sure if it was my pans, or something else, but the recipe my grandma used said 35 minutes. Best practice would be to check it at 35 minutes and keep going in 5 minute increments until the toothpick comes out clean.}
• Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes, and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Once the cake are cool, you can ice them.
• For the Icing:
• Cream together 8oz of softened cream cheese and 1/2 cup (1 stick) of softened butter.
• Add in 4 cups of powdered sugar a little at a time and beat until fully combined.
• Add in 1-2 tsp of vanilla and another 2 cups of powdered sugar. Beat until smooth.
• If needed, add in 1-2 tbsp of milk to reach desired consistency.
• Ice the cake to your liking and enjoy!