KITCHEN | Winter favourite: Banana Cake

Banana cake is an old faithful, and we love this faultless recipe by Adelaide-based food blogger Rachael of Polka Bakes. With a thick spread of cream cheese icing on top, this recipe is a true crowd pleaser.

Rachael says: This recipe is basically bulletproof! Do as you will with it. Serve it smothered with cream cheese icing or cut in half and sandwiched with whipped cream. Cover it with toasted walnuts or just enjoy it simply as it is, with a dusting of icing sugar over the top. I’ve decided to stick to tradition and serve it with vanilla buttercream and a sprinkle of desiccated coconut.

Serves 6-8.

Ingredients:

125g butter, softened to room temperature
½ cup (100g) caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 overripe bananas (about 100g each), mashed
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 ½ cups (225g) self raising flour, sifted
½ cup (125ml) full cream milk

For the vanilla buttercream:

1 ½ cups (225g) soft icing sugar mixture
60g butter, softened to room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon full cream milk

Prep | Rachel Linke | Polka Bakes

Method:

Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with greaseproof baking paper.

Using an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until fluffy and light in colour. Gradually add eggs, a little at a time, beating well between additions (the mixture will look a little curdled, but worry not- it will come back together with the addition of the flour!)

Add mashed bananas to the mixture and use a plastic spatula to fold through. 

Add baking soda to milk and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using the spatula, gently fold in in one third of the sifted flour, followed by one third of the milk. Repeat, alternating between milk and flour until the mixture is just combined.

Pour cake mixture into prepared cake tin. Bake in conventional oven at 170 degrees for approximately 50-55 minutes, depending on your oven. The cake should be golden in colour and spring back when lightly pressed on top (if unsure, test for 'doneness' by inserting a skewer slightly off centre- it should come out clean).

Leave cake to cool in tin 10-20 minutes before turning out, top side up, onto a wire rack, leaving the baking paper on the cake. Place a large upturned plastic container over the top of the cake and leave to cool completely (this helps the cake to stay super moist).

To make the icing, beat butter, sugar, milk and vanilla with electric beaters until smooth and fluffy.

Remove baking paper from cake. Transfer to serving plate. Spread vanilla buttercream over cake and serve.

The cake will keep stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Alternatively, cut into portions and freeze.