Dense Banana Cake

Submitted by:  June Shockley

I was watching Barefoot Contessa on TV when she made this banana cake.  I had all the ingredients so I made it along with her.  Fabulous, a rich, moist, dense cake.  The orange zest is a delicate and great addition.

Dense Banana Cake

Ingredients for cake:

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed

½ cup vegetable oil

2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature

½ cup sour cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Grated zest of 1 orange (Optional, but surprizingly good)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt (Or just plain salt)

½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)

Walnut halves, for decorating (optional) 

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:
6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (½ pound)

Directions for cake 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 × 2-inch round cake pan. (I used a 9x9 square pan.)
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until smooth.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely.
Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves, if using. 

Directions for the Cream Cheese Frosting:

Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined, don’t whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth. After frosted add optional walnuts over top.