Readers' Favorite Banana Cake

Time :2 15

Yield :10 servings

Recipe Background

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Ingredients

For the cake:

2/3 cup butter softened, plus more, to taste, for greasing the baking dish
3 cups flour plus more, to taste, for dusting the baking dish
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice divided
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/3 cups bananas (about 2 bananas) mashed
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the frosting:

1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese
1/3 cup butter softened
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
3 cups confectioners' sugar plus more, to taste
1 banana optional, sliced, for topping

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Using the extra butter, grease a 9x13-inch baking dish, then use the extra flour to lightly dust the greased dish.
In a glass measuring cup, add 1 1/2 tablespoons of the lemon juice and the milk and whisk to combine. Set the milk mixture aside.
In a medium bowl, add 1 1/3 cups of the mashed bananas and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice and stir to combine. Set the mashed banana mixture aside.
In a large bowl, add 2/3 cup of the butter, the brown sugar, and the granulated sugar and using an electric hand mixer on high speed, beat to combine.
Add the vanilla extract and the eggs, 1 at a time, to the sugar mixture and beat between each addition of the eggs until light and fluffy.
In a separate, medium bowl, add the remaining 3 cups of the flour, the baking soda, and the salt and whisk to combine.
Add the flour mixture and the reserved milk mixture, alternating between the two and adding about 1/3 of each at a time, to the egg mixture and stir until just combined after each addition. Be careful not to overmix.
Add the reserved mashed banana mixture to the batter mixture and fold to combine.
Evenly pour the batter mixture into the prepared baking dish.
Bake just until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour-1 hour 10 minutes. Be careful not to overbake.
Transfer the cake from the oven directly to the freezer to make the cake extra moist, about 45 minutes.
Transfer the cake from the freezer to a wire rack and let it continue to cool at room temperature.
In a separate large bowl, add the cream cheese and the remaining 1/3 cup of the butter and using an electric hand mixer with clean beaters on medium-high speed, beat until fluffy.
Add the lemon zest and the remaining lemon juice to the cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
A little at a time, add 3 cups of the confectioners' sugar to the cream cheese mixture, while beating the mixture on medium-low speed, until it is combined and thickens into a frosting. If the frosting seems too thin, add the extra confectioners' sugar a little at a time.
When the cake is completely cool, evenly add the frosting to the top of the cake.
Add the banana slices to the top of the cake.
Slice and serve.