Alternative to Carrot: Banana Nut Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Turns out Paula Deen, the high priestess of Southern decadence, served none other than a banana nut cake with cream cheese frosting as her wedding cake. Not a conventional choice, but it was exactly what we were looking for.

• Here's the recipe: Banana Nut Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, from Food Network

There's nothing too special or complicated about this recipe; it doesn't even use a standing mixer. There are a lot of comments on it, though, and one that's brought up over and over is important. The recipe calls for mixing together the dry ingredients, plus the egg and oil, before adding the bananas. This first mixture is extremely dense. It takes some work to get the mashed bananas incorporated, even though they turn the lump of dough into a more fluid batter that you can pour into the cake pans. Don't despair. It does come together, but next time we might follow one commentator's advice and mix all the wet ingredients together, then combine them with the flour, sugar, and spices.

This recipe makes three relatively thin layers, which are easy to stack and frost—but be careful not to over-bake them. Also, we used walnuts instead of pecans. We're sure either would taste good.

Our cake stayed moist for a couple of days afterwards and was a delicious (and much less labor-intensive) alternative to carrot cake. The cream cheese frosting is your standard stuff, but really good.

Related: On Birthday Cake for Breakfast (We highly recommend this one in the a.m.)

(Images: Elizabeth Passarella)

I would eat a tire if it was covered with enough cream cheese frosting. Yum.

posted by heather77 on May 4th 2009 at 3:45pm
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When it first was printed, I made the Banana Layer Cake with Mascarpone Frosting from Food & Wine ( http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/banana-layer-cake-with-mascarpone-frosting ) as written, to rave reviews.

A few years later, I used a variation of that frosting recipe with the cake part of this recipe from Epicurious ( http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fresh-Banana-Layer-Cake-14502 ), as part of my Classical Pastry final, which I totally aced. :) One girl told me it was the best cake she'd ever had. :D

Banana layer cakes are delicious, but the mascarpone frosting just puts it over the top!

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posted by eprewitt on May 4th 2009 at 4:13pm
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The banana cake recipe in the Cake Bible is wonderful with chocolate ganache.

posted by JudiAU on May 4th 2009 at 4:47pm
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This is also called Hummingbird Cake. It often has pieces of pineapple in it too. You can get it at Buttercup Bake Shop in Midtown and I think Amy's Bread too.

posted by gourmandizzy on May 4th 2009 at 4:48pm
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I'm confused as to why the language in your post acts like a a banana cake is something from another planet. It's been one of Sara Lee's most popular products for oh ... two decades or so.

posted by Indy Jeffrey on May 4th 2009 at 5:01pm
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@gormandizzy: Yes, Hummingbird cake is very similar, although all of the versions I've made have pineapple and are more moist than this cake.

@Indy Jeffrey: Obviously my friend knew it was common, too. I've just always thought of banana bread but not cake, and not with the cream cheese frosting. New find for me, I guess.

posted by Elizabeth P on May 4th 2009 at 5:13pm
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Perhaps banana cake is more of a Southern thing? Like banana pudding?

posted by jamiealyse on May 4th 2009 at 7:06pm
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I make banana nut cake, with pecans. It's one of those keeps-getting-better-cakes if you can avoid eating it up the first day.

posted by Kate (NC) on May 4th 2009 at 8:51pm
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Joy of Cooking has a banana cake.

I am faint with envy. My banana cake recipe was "transcribed" to actual measurement in 1944. Previously it was---a pinch of salt, a handful of this---and so on. A delicious banana cake should be in everyone's recipe box.

posted by SunnyBlue on May 4th 2009 at 11:03pm
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I once made Banana Bourbon Cake for my husband's birthday, and it was... amazing!

http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/banana-bourbon-layer-cake?autonomy_kw=banana%20cake&rsc=header_5

The sour cream & whipped cream filling/topping along with the flambéed bananas are divine. It's essentially a cake version of Bananas Foster.

posted by mschatelaine on May 5th 2009 at 9:11am
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A tradition in my family is a banana nut birthday cake with homemade caramel icing - the cake is usually made during family gatherings, and has been known to be eaten out of the cake pan...

posted by crbinsf on May 5th 2009 at 12:00pm
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I'm not real big on bananas, but love the recipe. Any ideas for replacements of bananas?

posted by GraceF on May 5th 2009 at 4:04pm
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I love banana cake! Bananas always add such a lovely moistness to baked goods.

Grace, maybe you could try very very ripe, peeled, mashed pears to substitute for the bananas? I've tried that with good success in quickbreads and muffins.

posted by simplyrudy on May 6th 2009 at 1:01pm
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Oooh! Pears as a substitute sounds terrific! And I just bought a whole bunch of Asian red pears. Yum! Thanks so much!

posted by GraceF on May 22nd 2009 at 4:45pm
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