Barefoot Contessa's Old Fashioned Banana Cake--What Happened?

If you have been a follower for a while you know how much of a Ina Garten  fan I am.  Well yesterday I had a few dark bananas and tired of the bread/muffin route and just thought I would look in her books to see if there was a recipe.

Much to my excitement there was a Old Fashioned Banana Cake.  I am not a big cake maker but this is only a one layer cake and looked so yummy on the picture.  I defrosted a few bananas I had the freezer to make up for the 3 bananas needed in the recipe.  I also had all the other ingredients--typical of any muffin or quick bread recipe you might have.

Like most of her recipes, this one was easy and straight forward.  You only really need to know how to read to make a lot of her dishes, which don't get me wrong it won't taste like that.

Well something went wrong with this recipe. I made sure I had the correct size pan as it was very full.  An 8 inch pan will cause an over flow no doubt.  When I looked at the cake at the minimal baking time, the middle was not set, so I added 5 minutes.(the max baking time)

When the buzzer went off the toothpick was a little wet but the sides were getting very brown. I placed it on the stove, maybe a little too hard and it collapsed.  Kinda like a cartoon.

top of cake

Turned over to cool

Not fearing the worst, I continued letting it cool per the directions.  Of course the hurried baker I am, I accidently frosted the bottom of the cake.  The frosting welled in the middle so when I cut it we described it as an avalanche of frosting.

Not necessarily a bad thing, being that it was frosting, but not pretty none the less.

My questions are why did it collapse and the frosting pool out.  I did place the cake in the fridge after we ate our pieces and the frosting definitely hardened.  Maybe that should be part of the directions.

Love your insight.  Needless to say the cake was extremely tasty and will not think twice about trying it again when I have some overripe bananas.

after refrigerated

To make it lower fat,  I used the non-fat cream cheese.  It is all I had in the fridge.  I usually use the  1/3 less fat.  You can also try adding 1/2 oil and 1/2 applesauce.  Also you can try to substitute some of the flour for whole wheat flour.  It was pretty sweet, so maybe lesson the sugar if that is a concern.  Not sure how this will taste now.

Old Fashioned Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Barefoot Contessa- How Easy is That cookbook

3 very ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour cream (I used low fat)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, after sifting
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
powdered sugar for sprinkling on top
1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
Cream cheese frosting ( optional,recipe follows)
Walnut halves or pieces, for decorating

PREHEAT oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 2-inch round cake pan, or line the pan with a piece of parchment or wax paper cut to fit inside the cake pan.  Spray the liner and sides lightly with cooking spray. 

MIX bananas, granulated sugar and brown sugar in bowl with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add oil, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Add flour, baking soda and salt. With mixer on low,  mix just until combined. Stir in chopped walnuts if using. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, turn out onto cooling rack.

Serve warm, sprinkled with powdered sugar, or cool completely and top with Cream Cheese Frosting. 

Cream Cheese Frosting

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (1/2 pound)

MIX cream cheese, butter and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don’t whip. Add sugar and mix until smooth.