Banana Sour Cream Cake

The night before last, while waiting for our kidney bean and brown rice stew to finish simmering on the stovetop, Little Hen asked if we could make a cake to serve after dinner.  We didn’t have much time, and I was pretty tired, so we went for one of our easy favorites – Banana Sour Cream Cake.  It’s a simple sheet cake, but very moist and very tasty. 

My version uses whole wheat flour and, of course, bananas, so I can justify it as a “healthy” dessert.  I have made it with yogurt instead of sour cream when in a pinch (but then, I substitute cream cheese frosting for the one I have listed below).   My original recipe below, with a few changes I made this time in parenthesis:

 Larksong’s Banana Sour Cream Cake

 1 cup Bob’s Red Mill whole wheat flour

1 cup Bob’s Red Mill unbleached white flour

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 cup unsalted Tillamook butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs (I had medium on hand, so I used 3)

3/4 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

3  very large or 4 medium bananas, preferably overripe

2 Tbsp lemon juice (although, last night I used lime juice, because limes have been the frugal choice of late.  No one could tell the difference.)

Directions –

1) Preheat oven to 350 F.  Butter and lightly flour a  9 x 13 inch cake pan.  In a Kitchenaid mixer with beater blade, cream butter, shortening, and sugar until fluffy.   

2) Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat until quite fluffy (I find this step quite important when making a cake with whole wheat flour.  It helps prevent an overly dense cake).

3) While above is mixing, in a separate bowl, combine flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

4)To the mixer, add the sour cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and bananas.  Beat until combined. 

5)Add dry ingredients in two additions until just combined.  Then, pour into pan and bake for approx 30 min, or until cake tester comes out mostly clean (I find that a banana cake may not come out totally clean until it’s overbaked).  Let cool completely on a wire rack before frosting with Sour Cream Frosting.   

Sour Cream Frosting

4 tablespoons unsalted softened butter

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice  (again, I used lime juice.)

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups powdered sugar

In Kitchenaid with whisk attachment, beat together butter, sour cream, vanilla and lemon juice until creamy.  Sift in powdered sugar and beat until fully combined and fluffy.  This frosting is delicious and creamy, but soft, so I chill it before frosting the cake, and I store leftover cake in the fridge if the kitchen is warm.