There always seem to be sad black bananas forever languishing at the back of my freezer, am I alone in this? Let’s help them find a better fate.

Of course, I love a good banana bread, but sometimes I want something a little more indulgent. This cake is banana-y but not overpoweringly so. It is rich and buttery despite being surprisingly low in actual butter. And it is even better the day after it is made.

I’ve made the cake here with salted caramel icing, but it is also amazing with chocolate frosting if that is more your speed.

Makes one 8″ cake (or one double layer 6″ cake if you want to get fancy)

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs, whites and yolks separated, room temperature
• 1 cup brown sugar, divided into 1/4 cup and 3/4 cup
• 1/2 cup milk (or sour milk, or buttermilk, or almond milk, just make sure it is room temperature)
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 3/4 cup mashed bananas (about 2 bananas)
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/4 cups AP flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees f
2. Grease or butter an 8″ cake pan (or two 6″ cake pans if you want to make a fancy two layer cake)
3. Beat egg whites (2) with 1/4 cup brown sugar until soft peak stage
4. In a large bowl combine milk (1/2 cup), butter (1/4 cup), egg yolks (2), bananas (3/4 cup) and vanilla (1 tsp) and stir well
5. In a medium bowl stir together flour (1 1/4 cups), baking powder (3/4 tsp), baking soda (3/4 tsp) and salt (1/2 tsp) and stir well
6. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir until fully combined but do not overmix
7. Fold egg white mixture gently into the rest of the batter
8. Pour into prepared cake pan
9. Bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean
10. Let fully cool before frosting

Salted Caramel Frosting

This frosting is wonderful on banana cake but also on chocolate cake, vanilla cake, spice cake and even just an apple. I know that “caramel” can be a scary word in a recipe but don’t worry, this one is shockingly easy. Fun fact, it is the first icing I ever learned to make!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Combine brown sugar (1 cup), butter (3 tbsp), milk (3 tbsp), and salt (1/2 tsp) in a small saucepan
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat
3. Boil for 1 minute
4. Let cool, then add vanilla (1 tsp)
5. Whip until thickens and lightens in colour, and this is ready to go!

Notes:

• This is great made ahead and freezes well but the icing does not really harden much. If you can, I would suggest freezing this cake un-iced and then icing it shortly before serving.