Ever wondered what you can do with those overripe bananas that seem to be getting browner by the day? Perhaps you’ve thought of just throwing them out or composting them. Or, maybe you’ve even thought of baking some banana bread, so they don’t go to waste. But there’s another option you’ve likely not considered—Banana cake! You might think there’s hardly a difference between banana bread and banana cake, but the opposite is true. From the texture to the taste and even the color, banana cake proves to be more refined than the more famous banana bread. Texture-wise, banana bread tends to be denser and heavier than banana cake since it typically incorporates all-purpose flour and can include other ingredients such as nuts or even chocolate.
In comparison, even though you can use all-purpose flour to make banana cake, it can be made with lighter flours like cake flour. This is why you’ll find that banana cake is light, fluffy, and soft, unlike banana bread. Regarding the taste, banana bread seems to have a more ‘muted’ banana flavor and is also less sweet than your usual dessert since its recipe calls for less sugar. Banana cake has noticeably stronger and sweeter notes of banana in its flavor and aroma because you can use banana essence, and its recipe calls for more sugar than would be seen in banana bread. The differences don’t stop there. Banana bread is famously brown, while banana cake possesses a light and pleasant yellowish color similar to vanilla cake.
Finally, unlike banana bread, banana cake in more versatile: it can be frosted, layered, decorated, or served as a tea cake. All in all, banana cake is a tasty alternative you won’t want to miss out on.
TIPS AND TRICKS
As usual, let’s go over a few tips and tricks to optimize your baking experience when making a banana cake.
When life gives you lemons… add them to your bananas? Have you ever wondered why banana bread comes out brown while banana cake comes out a nice pale-yellow color? It’s because of the lemon juice we add to our bananas after we’ve peeled and chopped them. The acid in the lemon juice prevents the bananas from becoming brown, and as a result, you get a more pleasant color in your banana cake.
Now- a friendly reminder that you can use any pan of your choice, but I used my Bundt cake pan when baking my banana cake. Here’s why: The central core of a Bundt cake pan helps spread heat evenly throughout your cake, which allows it to bake in a timely manner. In essence, your cake bakes more efficiently and producing a lighter and fluffier cake!
Here’s another tip. Try sifting your dry ingredients two to three times as this will help make your. Sifting your flour light, giving your cake a lovely airy, and soft melt-in-the-mouth texture.
Finally, when you’re ready to bake your cake, you’ll want to place your pan in the center rack of your oven. This will ensure that heat is distributed evenly throughout your cake, as your pan won’t be too close to the top or bottom of your oven heaters. Not doing so would result in either the top or bottom of your burning with an uncooked center.
INGREDIENTS
500 grams – All-purpose flour
2 teaspoons – Baking powder
1 teaspoon – Salt
4 – Medium-sized overripe bananas (chopped into smaller pieces)
Juice of 1 Lemon
1 teaspoon – Lemon zest
230 grams – White sugar
1 cup – Vegetable oil
5 – Eggs (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon – Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon – Banana essence
THE PROCESS
As always, start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Now, onto your batter. You’ll want to begin with your dry ingredients. In a large bowl, sift together 500 grams of all-purpose flour, two teaspoons of baking powder, and one teaspoon of salt.
Moving on to the wet ingredients, blend four medium-sized overripe bananas that have been chopped into smaller sizes, the juice of one lemon, and one teaspoon of lemon zest. Next add 230 grams of white sugar, one cup of vegetable oil, and five eggs at room temperature and whisk these ingredients together. It’s important to note that you’ll need to add in your eggs one at a time, making sure to whisk the mixture well after each addition. Once we’ve added all five eggs, whisk in one teaspoon of vanilla extract and one teaspoon of banana essence.
Now that your wet ingredients are all combined, you are ready to add your dry and wet ingredients together. To do this, sift the flour mixture into the wet ingredients in three batches (That is, add the flour in smaller batches, as opposed to all at once for ease of ingredients incorporation). Fold the flour as gently as possible after each addition using a spatula. Once you’ve fully incorporated all your flour into your wet mixture, your batter is good to go!
BAKING THE CAKE
Once all your ingredients are combined, your batter is ready for the pan, but your pan must also be ready for the batter. To prepare your pan, using a baking pan of your choice, brush all sides of the inside with butter, making sure to cover it completely. After you’ve done so, take some flour and “dust” the inside of your pan, and be sure to cover its entire surface area. When that’s all done and dusted, tap out the excess flour, and your pan is ready!
The next step is to transfer your batter into your prepared pan. Here’s a helpful technique. To spread your batter evenly in the pan and prevent air bubbles from appearing in your cake, give your pan a light side-to-side swivel or shake. Then, firmly tap your pan against a hard surface like your counter until the batter appears flat and even and the air bubbles at the top have popped.
Once you’ve done this, you’re ready to bake your cake. Place your pan in the center rack of your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
You’ll know your cake is ready when you do the “skewer test.” To do the skewer test, insert a skewer (can be wooden or metal) into the center of your cake. If your skewer comes out perfectly clean, your cake is baked. If your skewer comes out with batter, your cake could use a little more time in the oven.
If your cake passes the “skewer test,” it’s time to let it cool completely on a wired rack.
Et voila! Your banana cake is ready. Trust me when I say it tastes just as fantastic as it looks. Spongy, soft, and flavorful, this banana cake will surely please your taste buds and satisfy your cravings. Feel free to share this easy-to-follow recipe with your family and friends, or impress them with the treat itself- either way, let them have a share of the deliciousness!
