Bruce's Beloved Banana Cake (and icing)

Bruce's Beloved Banana Cake - by Jane

Bruce loves anything banana!! When I purchased the "What's Cooking in Washington County" cookbook in the 90's, I found this quick, easy, and delicious banana cake recipe. I have been making it ever since. The funny thing to me is that the recipe was entered in the cookbook by one of my first students. Mary was in one of my first classes when I started teaching at Johannisburg Grade School on the western side of Washington County way back in 1973. Just goes to prove that teachers can learn from their students as well as the other way around! 

As with so many recipes, I have changed it a little here and there. I sometimes add walnuts or pecans which were not on the original recipe. When I do that, then I do not always ice it. I leave it more like bread. This cake is dense and very moist, and although the icing is good; the cake does not always need it. This cake gets better the day or two after you make it. So if you want to take it somewhere, make it a day ahead of time for the best flavor of the bananas!

As always, simple ingredients!

Quick Banana Cake

From: What’s Cooking in Washington County

Entered by:  Mary Ann (Wienstroer) Klein

1 box yellow cake mix

1 c  buttermilk or  1 c sour milk (1 c milk with 1 tsp white vinegar)

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

3 or 4 ripe bananas, mashed

1 c walnuts(optional)

Mix together and pour into 9x13 greased pan. Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes

When cool, frost with the following:

Cream Cheese Icing

1 (8 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

½ stick butter

Pinch of salt

1 tsp vanilla

1 ¾ c powdered sugar

½ c nuts, sprinkled on top

Mash 'em up!

Nuts, or no nuts? You decide!

Lucy's Chocolate Cake & Icing

Parker Family Favorite

For my birthday this year I had a request - Lucy's Chocolate Cake! Which Lucy Parker called Hand-Me-Down Chocolate Cake. Growing up, we always knew that when we went to visit our grandmother, Lula Heape, in DuQuoin, IL, that we would most likely also get to see our cousins' other set of grandparents, Harold and Lucy Parker.

I'm not sure when my mom actually got the recipe, but I believe that Lucy gave it to my Grandma Lula who then passed it to mom - because my Aunt Sandy doesn't even have this recipe! My mother and aunt remember that the cake itself was often present at Parker family events, and even if it wasn't the centerpiece....there it was on the dessert table, a favorite stand-by. My Uncle Lou always said he'd eat this chocolate icing on anything...and if you know Lou at all, you can imagine the kind of things he might mention!

If you love chocolate, or even like it a little - give this a try. A real cake recipe, not from a box - yet not too hard. And OH so delicious. Not to mention, the icing is crazy easy and the combination is outstanding!

 

Lucy's Chocolate Cake with Icing 

(Hand-Me-Down Chocolate Cake and Icing)

3/4C softened butter
1-3/4C sugar
3/4C Hershey's cocoa
2 eggs
1-1/4tsp baking sode
1/2tsp salt
1tsp vanilla
2C flour
1-1/3C water

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, beat one minute at medium speed. Combine flower, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add alternately with water to creamed mixture. Pour batter into two greased and floured 8-inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes. Cool to room temperature, and frost with chocolate icing -placing one layer, icing the top of this first layer. Then place second layer on top and ice the entire cake.

 

Easy Chocolate Icing

3-1/2C powdered sugar (add additional sugar to get to desired consistency)

1/3C cocoa

1tsp vanilla

3/4C softened butter

1/2C milk

Combine ingredients into mixer and beat until smooth. Add additional powdered sugar to get to desired consistency. DONE!

Tick, tock.....

Layer one, then put down a layer of icing before adding
the second cake. Then ice the entire thing....



My mom made this for my birthday,
and failed to take photos while icing. Boo.



YUM!!

 

DID YOU TRY IT? WHAT DO YOU THINK? LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!!