I think that it was the cinnamon icing on this cake that made me have to try the recipe right away. Am I ever glad that I did, because this banana cake has to be one of the best I have ever had! The cake is dense and moist and full of banana flavor. And the cinnamon icing just gilds the lily!
I am always looking to cut down on my sugar consumption, so I reduced the granulated sugar from the original recipe by a quarter cup with good results. I find any frosting made with powdered sugar to be too sweet, so I toasted the butter lightly before adding it to the icing. This amps up the flavor and tones down the sugar for a really tasty topping. The cinnamon in the recipe warms up the cake for fall. This recipe comes all the way from the other side of the globe from the Australian blog sweetestmenu.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 2 large over-ripe bananas, mashed with a fork (about one cup)
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter (4 tablespoons), cut into slices
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup toasted, chopped walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an eight inch square pan. Line the pan with baking parchment, then lightly grease the paper.
- In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- In another bowl, beat the stick of butter with an electric mixer until light. Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and beat until well incorporated. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating the mixture until light and fluffy.
- Stir together the mashed banana and the buttermilk.
- Using a wide spatula, stir in 1/2 of the flour, then half of the banana mixture. Repeat these additions and then scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for about 30 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly touched. Place on a wire rack to cool. After 15 minutes remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool completely.
- To make the frosting, whisk together the powdered sugar and cinnamon in a medium sized bowl.
- Place the half stick of butter into a small pan. Melt the butter over low heat and allow it to continue to cook. It will splatter a bit. Once the butter gives of a nice, toasted fragrance (after about 3 or 4 minutes) whisk it into the powdered sugar mixture. Once it is smooth, whisk in the milk. Spread the frosting over the cake and sprinkle with the walnuts.
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