Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

There are few recipes more loved in my personal cookbook than this one. Banana cake with cream cheese frosting is one of my sister’s favorite desserts. She always requests it for her birthday and I’m happy to make it for her. Because I love her, and I. Love. Cake.

Cream cheese frosting is certainly delicious in its own right. However, if you aren’t putting any butter in that frosting, you just aren’t doing it right. My secret for perfect cream cheese frosting: add butter. This allows the frosting to have a much better consistency (ie: not stringy) and the flavor is better too.

I will warn you, this makes a decent amount of frosting… plenty extra for spreading on graham crackers or stuffing into hulled strawberries. Go for it.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

by: Cristen     www.foodandswine.com
*Tanna’s favorite birthday cake
Ingredients:
For the cake:
3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1/2 cup sour cream
3 ripe bananas
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
For the cream cheese frosting
1 8 oz. block of cream cheese at room temperature
1 stick of butter at room temperature
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt (or a large pinch will do)
2-3 TBSP half and half or milk
1 1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Directions for the cake:
In a large mixing bowl add butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. (1 min.)
Add eggs, continue to beat until well mixed. (30 sec. to 1 min.)
Add vanilla, sour cream and bananas. Beat until well mixed (1 min.)
Add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Beat only until combined. Do not overmix! (less than 30 sec.)
Scoop into greased 9×13″ baking dish.
Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
Let cake cool completely before frosting.
Directions for the frosting:
In a large bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Beat until smooth (30 sec.)
Add powdered sugar, salt, half and half and vanilla. Beat until smooth (1 min. or less)
**Add powdered sugar/milk to thicken or thin frosting to your desired consistency.