Banana Cake Recipe

In honor of my mom's visit to Paris, and as a follow-up to our last post, here's a treat for you. Legend has it my maternal great-grandmother Lena came up with this recipe, which has become a family heirloom of sorts. People are always asking for the recipe, and since I've made it twice so far on this trip, it's multiply postable. Enjoy!

1 cup butter (two sticks, 226g)

1 1/2 cups sugar (~300g)

2 eggs

2 cups flour (240g)

1/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup (three or four) mashed bananas (very ripe - I usually only use very brown bananas)

1/4 cup milk (60 mL) + 1 tbs white vinegar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Cream margarine with sugar. Add eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add to mixture. Add mashed bananas (you can use more than 3 very ripe bananas if you like more flavor, and I do). Add sour milk (milk + vinegar) and vanilla extract. Bake well-blended ingredients in 2 greased and floured 9" cake pans or one 9x13" baking pan at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. If using pure convection, bake at 340 for 27 minutes.

Bittersweet Icing:

2/3 cups cocoa (160 mL)

4 tbls butter or margarine (57g)

1/2 cup sugar (98g)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup milk (80 mL)

Simmer on low, the ingredients are approximate and you can make it as sweet or as bitter as you like.

Yes.