Classic Banana Cake With Caramel Frosting Recipes

BANANA CAKE WITH MOST EXCELLENT CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 for glass or light metal pan; 350 for dark metal or coated pan. Position a rack in the middle of the oven.
• Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.
• Put 1 tablespoon lemon juice in a measuring cup and fill with milk to the 2/3 cup line. Set aside.
• Mash bananas with a fork, adding the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice to them as you mash. Set aside.
• Combine cake mix and baking soda in a large mixer bowl and stir. Add bananas, softened butter, lemon-milk mixture, eggs, and vanilla. Beat at low speed about 30 seconds until moistened. Turn speed to medium and beat another 4 minutes.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and place in oven.
• For glass or metal pan, bake at 375 degrees for 28 to 33 minutes. For dark metal or coated pan, bake at 350 degrees for 31 to 33 minutes. Cake should be pulling away slightly from edges of pan when done, and the center should spring back when lightly touched with finger. Check for doneness at lowest time, but don't move cake in oven before then as it may fall.
• Cool in pan on wire rack, then frost.
• For frosting:.
• Spread chopped pecans on a baking sheet and bake in 375 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes until lightly browned. Watch carefully to avoid overcooking! Set aside while you prepare frosting.
• Have all frosting ingredients ready so you can move quickly while making the frosting, or it may set up before you can smooth it on the cake.
• In a small saucepan, thoroughly mix brown sugar and flour. Add butter and milk, and set over medium-high heat until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil exactly 1 1/2 minutes.
• Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Beat briefly with a wooden spoon until it begins to thicken. Mix in vanilla and continue beating until frosting is the consistency of thick honey, no more than 1 to 2 minutes.
• Immediately pour frosting onto cooled cake and quickly spread with the back of a warm spoon before frosting begins to set up. Quickly sprinkle with toasted pecans.
• You can serve immediately; although frosting may take several hours to completely set.

CLASSIC BANANA CAKE WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• 1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour four 9 inch cake pans. Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large mixing bowl and whisk together.
• 2. In a separate large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar and beat well. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla. Beat until mixture is light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).
• 3. Add half the flour and half the sour cream and with mixer on lowest speed beat just until flour and sour cream disappear into the batter. Add the rest of the flour and sour cream and mix in the same way as before. Stir in bananas with a large spatula.
• 4. Divide the batter evenly between the four cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until cakes are golden brown and toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Cool in pans on wire rack for about 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.
• 5. To make frosting In a medium saucepan combine butter, milk and brown sugar. Over medium low heat bring mixture to a boil stirring occasionally. Continue to gently boil, stirring constantly, until mixture turns a golden amber color. This will take a while, usually about 15 to 20 minutes. Be patient, you can do it. Remove from heat and pour into a large mixing bowl. Let cool completely. When cool add confectioners sugar a little at a time mixing thoroughly until you have incorporated all the confectioners sugar. Mixture should be of frosting consistency.
• 6. Place one layer top side down on a plate and frost top and side. Cover with second layer top side up, frost top and sides. Continue with the other 2 layers in the same way, frosting top and sides between each layer. Place whole pecans around the perimeter on top of cake to make it look pretty and then pour yourself a big glass of milk and a large piece of cake and enjoy.

BANANA-NUT CAKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®).
• Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix in pecans. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.
• Beat 1 cup sugar and shortening together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in banana, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add sour cream and mix until just blended. Add flour mixture and beat until blended.
• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar-nut mixture into the prepared cake pan. Top with 1/2 of the cake batter. Follow with remaining nut mixture and cake batter.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil; continue to boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract; mix in powdered sugar gradually. Top the cooled cake with the frosting.