Description
Ina Garten’s banana cake delights dessert enthusiasts with rich, moist layers of comforting sweetness. Creamy frosting and ripe bananas create a memorable treat that will satisfy anyone craving a classic homestyle dessert.
Ingredients
Scale
- 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
- 2 extra-large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup sour cream
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 2 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 6 oz (170 g) cream cheese, room temperature
- 6 tbsps unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (cake)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (frosting)
- Grated zest of 1 orange
- ½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
Instructions
- Preparation: Preheat the oven to 350°F and thoroughly grease a 9-inch round cake pan with butter and flour for seamless cake release.
- Wet Ingredient Fusion: In a large mixing bowl, mash ripe bananas and blend with granulated sugar, light brown sugar, vegetable oil, extra-large eggs, sour cream, vanilla extract, and orange zest until achieving a smooth, homogeneous mixture.
- Dry Ingredient Integration: Sift all-purpose flour, baking soda, and kosher salt into a separate bowl, eliminating potential lumps for a consistent batter texture.
- Batter Composition: Delicately fold dry ingredients into the wet mixture, minimizing mixing to maintain a tender crumb. Gently incorporate chopped walnuts, distributing them evenly throughout the batter.
- Baking Process: Pour the batter into the prepared pan, ensuring an even spread. Bake for 45-50 minutes, verifying doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center – it should emerge clean.
- Cooling and Frosting Preparation: Rest the cake in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. While cooling, create the cream cheese frosting by whipping room-temperature cream cheese, unsalted butter, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add sifted confectioners’ sugar, mixing until achieving a creamy, spreadable consistency.
- Final Assembly: Once the cake has completely cooled, lavishly apply the cream cheese frosting across the top surface, creating an irresistible finishing touch.
Notes
- Banana Ripeness Matters: Use extremely ripe, soft bananas with dark brown spots for maximum natural sweetness and deeper banana flavor.
- Prevent Overmixing: Stir batter gently and minimally to maintain a tender, light cake texture and avoid developing tough gluten strands.
- Temperature Control: Ensure all ingredients are at room temperature to create a smoother, more evenly mixed batter and consistent baking results.
- Cooling Technique: Allow cake to rest in pan for 15 minutes before transferring to wire rack, preventing potential structural damage and maintaining moisture.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 8
- Calories: 570
- Sugar: 63 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 27 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 73 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg