My Very Popular Banana Cake With Caramel Icing Recipes

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.

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.

BANANA CAKE WITH CARAMEL FROSTING

Steps:

• Cream margarine, sugar and eggs until fluffy.
• Stir in mashed bananas and milk.
• Combine flour, soda and salt.
• Add dry ingredients to banana mixture and blend thoroughly.
• Pour batter into greased and lightly floured 9X13 pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 45 min or until done.
• Cool and top with Penuche Caramel Frosting.
• Penuche Caramel Frosting:.
• Boil butter, brown sugar and milk over medium heat for 2 minutes.
• Cool.
• Beat in powdered sugar until you obtain the desired consistency.
• Pour over cake and spread.

BANANA CARAMEL CAKE WITH MASCARPONE FROSTING

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Butter 2 9-inch round cake pans; line bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and dust with flour, tapping out the excess; set aside.
• Into a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a small bowl, stir together mashed bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat 1 1/2 sticks butter and 1 2/3 cups sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3-4 minute Scrape down the sides as needed.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in two parts, beating until well combined after both additions, 2-3 minute.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold in the reserved mashed banana mixture, being careful not to overmix.
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake 30-35 min, or until golden and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool for 20 minute.
• Invert cakes onto the rack; peel off the parchment paper and reinvert cakes, and let them cool completely, top sides up.
• Sprinkle 1/4 cup sugar into a large skillet; cook over high heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until sugar is caramelized.
• Remove from heat and stir in 3 Tbs butter until melted.
• Return pan to medium heat and add the sliced bananas. Cook until slices start to brown, 1-2 minute Gently turn the bananas, and cook over medium-high heat until browned, about 2 more minute.
• Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the layers to make them level.
• Place one layer on a cake plate and arrange the caramelized banana slices on top. Make sure the entire top is covered.
• Place the remaining layer on top and frost with mascarpone frosting.
• To make the frosting:.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the mascarpone, cream and confectioners' sugar until medium-soft peaks form, about 1-2 minute Be careful not to overbeat, and use immediately.

BANANA-CARAMEL CAKE

Steps:

• PREPARE THE CAKE:.
• Preheat oven to 350ºF.
• Using a small brush, lightly coat two 9-inch cake pans with softened butter or vegetable-oil cooking spray.
• Dust with flour, tap out any excess, and set aside.
• Over a surface covered with a large sheet of waxed or parchment paper, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Into a medium bowl, resift the flour mixture and set aside.
• In a large bowl, using a mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the butter until light -- about 1 minute.
• Add the sugar and continue to beat for 2 more minutes.
• Add the eggs, one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition, and mix in the vanilla.
• Reduce mixer speed to low and add the flour mixture by thirds, alternating with the buttermilk and bananas and ending with the dry ingredients.
• Mix just enough to blend the batter after each addition.
• BAKE THE CAKE:.
• Divide the batter equally between the pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven until a tester inserted into each cake layer comes out clean -- 25 to 30 minutes.
• Cool in the cake pans on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
• Using a knife, loosen the cake layers from the pan sides and invert the layers onto the wire rack to cool completely.
• PREPARE THE ICING:.
• In a medium saucepan with a candy thermometer attached, stir sugar, heavy cream, and lemon juice together.
• Cook the mixture, without stirring, over medium-high heat to soft-ball stage (238ºF).
• Remove from heat and cool the caramel mixture to 140º F.
• Place the butter on top of the cooled caramel mixture.
• Remove the thermometer and, using a handheld mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the caramel until it thickens enough to hold its shape, lightens in color, and changes from translucent to opaque -- about 5 minutes.
• ICE THE CAKE:.
• Use a serrated knife to trim the mounded side of the cake layers, if necessary.
• Line the edges of a cake plate with 3-inch-wide strips of waxed or parchment paper and place a cake layer, trimmed side down, on top.
• Place 1 cup Caramel Icing on top of the layer and spread evenly.
• Place the second layer, trimmed side down, on the first and cover the top and sides with the remaining icing.
• Apply icing immediately.
• ENJOY!