Ultimate Cook Book_ 900 New Recipes, Thousands of Ideas - Bruce Weinstein [350]
3 very ripe large bananas, mashed in a small bowl with a fork
½ cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter three 8-inch round cake pans; dust them with flour, shaking out the excess after ascertaining that they’re well coated.
Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside.
Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until light, pale yellow, and quite airy, about 4 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat in the eggs one at a time, making sure each is thoroughly incorporated into the batter before adding the next. Beat in the vanilla, then beat in the mashed bananas until smooth.
Turn off the beaters, add half the flour mixture, and beat at low speed just until moistened. Add the milk and beat until well combined. Beat in the remaining flour for just a few seconds at low speed, just until moistened.
Scrape down and remove the beaters. Turn the batter a few times with a rubber spatula to make sure the flour is all moistened, then scrape the batter evenly into the three pans. Rap the pans a few times against your work surface to get rid of any air pockets.
Bake until lightly browned at the edges and a little puffed, until a toothpick or a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 28 minutes.
To cool and unmold: Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes, then unmold the cakes by running a knife around the pans’ inner edge, inverting them onto a cutting board, removing the baking pans, and reinverting the cakes onto the wire rack. Cool completely before icing.
To store: Do not ice. Wrap the cooled layers individually in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 2 days before icing.
To ice:. Frost no more than 6 hours before serving.
Variations: Add ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg, or ¼ teaspoon grated mace with the salt.
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Makes enough frosting for a three-layer cake
8 ounces regular or low-fat cream cheese (do not use fat-free), at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup chopped toasted pecan pieces
6 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4½ to 5 cups confectioners’ sugar
Beat the cream cheese and butter in a large bowl until smooth and light, using an electric mixer at medium speed, about 2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the pecans, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
Turn off the beaters, add 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, and beat at low speed until fully moistened and combined.
Remove the beaters and stir in more confectioners’ sugar in ¼-cup increments with a wooden spoon until a smooth frosting forms.
You can also frost the Banana Layer Cake with:
Cream Cheese Sour Cream Frosting
Banana Frosting
Vanilla Buttercream
Italian Meringue Icing
Honey Cream Cheese Frosting: Substitute 5 tablespoons honey for the maple syrup.
Poppy Seed Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream
For sheer heaven, we’ve paired a light cake with a thick, rich buttercream. Poppy seeds have an amazingly high oil content—which means they toast beautifully but also go rancid quickly. Store them in the refrigerator for up to 6 months. Makes one 8-inch two-layer cake
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cool unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus additional for greasing the pans
2 cups cake flour, plus additional for dusting the pans
3 tablespoons poppy seeds
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup milk (regular, low-fat, or fat-free)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Lemon Buttercream (recipe follows)
Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter two 8-inch round cake pans; dust them thoroughly with flour, shaking out any excess.
Sprinkle the poppy seeds on a large baking sheet and bake just until aromatic, stirring