This cake is soooooooo good! Its got such a beautiful banana taste, light, fluffy, perfect crust. It does not bake up high, so if you are going to stuff it with salted caramel, make sure you make two layers. You wont be able to slice in half lengthwise because of the tenderness of this cake, and the gentleness of the crumb, so dont try!
If you are serving this as a dessert for a nice dinner, it would be perfect iced with a cream cheese and vanilla frosting (beaten with a few tablespoons of powdered sugar), or stuffed with salted caramel. However, if its for an afternoon tea, or just because… it needs no embellishment. Its beautiful and light, satisfying and happy making!
My Toh used to eat pisang mas (the tiny gold banana common here in Malaysia) and so, in memory of him, that is one of my favourite fruits. I look for it everywhere, and was so thrilled when my wonderful organic delivery guy had them. I used pisang mas for this recipe, but please feel free to use any very ripe (even black) sweet banana.
- 2 1/4 cups cake flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas
- 1/3 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 large eggs
Preheat oven to 175°F. Lightly butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 2-inch-high sides; dust pans with flour.
In a small bowl, combine cake flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
Mash bananas well and measure – we used about 8 or 9 small pisang mas. Mix bananas with buttermilk and vanilla and set aside.
In an electric mixer, beat butter and sugars in a large bowl until blended well, and light. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
Add dry ingredients alternately with banana in 3 – 4 additions, beating for a few seconds until just blended. Let rest for a few minutes.
Divide equally between the cake pans, and bake, one at a time for approximately 25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out with a few crumbs attached.
Let cake cool on a cake rack, in the cake pan, for about 10 minutes, and then turn out and allow to cool completely.
Ice (or stuff) with salted caramel, and sprinkle with a little bit of Maldon.
Try not to eat before the guests come – unlike me (as you can see from the picture!)
delectable 
Yummm it sounds so delicious! I will try it soon.
Its really nice, and fluffy, Tes. Please do tell me what you think 🙂
Now waiting for the cookbook … seriously.
Hopefully Ana, its what I really would love to do. What would be fantastic is to spend a summer cooking with you and co-author a book with your drawings 🙂 mmmm that would be beautiful!
I’d love to contribute drawings of some kind especially if it means you coming over here and actually cooking all summer! But when it comes to food and cookbooks there’s no substitute for good photos … hmmm perhaps we should get Shireen to join us? Now that sounds blissful, having both of you here!
That would be some serious bliss 🙂
I’m ready to plot & plan whenever you are. Where’s the Goddess? 🙂
I will try and convince her 😉