I was really looking forward to the Big Banana Cake recipe because I've been on the hunt for a long time for a recipe that replicates my memory of my grandmother's banana cupcakes. She made them for all sorts of occasions and they were a favorite. Unfortunately, she passed away when I was young and I do not have any of her recipes. I've made lots of banana cake recipes but none of them have the banana flavor and light texture of her cupcakes.
None of my April plans aligned with a "big" cake and I was concerned that the cake would be competing with Easter candy and desserts. I decided to make one quarter of the recipe and bake it as cupcakes.
I bought a jar of cookie butter at Trader Joe's and hoped to use some leftover whipped cream cheese to give the frosting a nice flavor and lightness. I took a cue from Steph and added an equal amount of baking powder to the specified amount of baking soda. The one-fourth recipe yielded 6 small cupcakes, baked for 17 minutes at 350 degrees.
I was pleased that the cupcakes were lighter than banana bread. The frosting was a nice complement. I decorated some with chocolate shavings and some with a few pinches of cinnamon. They were tasty. My family enjoyed them too.
To see the successes of my fellow Tuesdays with Dorie bakers, see the Tuesdays with Dorie LYL posts for links. To try this recipe, check out Baking with Dorie: Sweet, Salty & Simple.
Love the story of your grandma's banana cake as well as the frosting you made.
ReplyDeleteLove hearing about your grandma's banana bread. The frosting on your cake looks so smooth.
ReplyDeleteLove the story ! It's always nice to find a recipe that can replicate a family favourite! Interestingly, I found the cake to be heavier than banana bread (which I didn't mind) but now I've seen so many people make cupcakes I think I need to as well!).
ReplyDeleteI really think it's because there isn't enough leavening for all the flour as written
DeleteYep, it's like an old school banana cake from my childhood! I loved it!
DeleteAnd of course your plate and tablecloth were banana themed as well!
ReplyDeleteand I'll take a cue from you on the amount of cupcakes this yields. probably nothing compares to grandma's cake, but glad this brought you good memories!
ReplyDeleteYour cupcakes came out perfect. I should have added the baking powder, I missed that little tip by Steph. Next time...
ReplyDeleteYour (cup)cake looks a lot like mine haha!! I think you had better luck with the frosting than I did and interestingly I used Trader Joes as well!
ReplyDeleteCupcakes clearly were the way to go!
ReplyDelete