Banana Layer Cake with Vanilla Bean, Cream Cheese Buttercream
Makes: 1, 8 inch, 3 layer cake Prep time : 40 minutes Bake time: 22-25 minutes
Ingredients
3 large, extremely ripe bananas mashed. (See my photo above about how black they should be)
1 cup, unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup full fat sour cream
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon Nielsen Massey vanilla bean paste
1 and 1/2 cups Dixie Crystals granulated sugar
2 and 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
Cream cheese buttercream
16 ounces full fat cream cheese
1 cup, softened, unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pound Dixie Crystals confectioners sugar
About 2 cups of chopped walnuts for garnishing the cake, if desired
Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Butter, flour and line 3, 8 inch cake pans with parchment and set aside.
In your mixing bowl, blend the softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Add in the eggs, one at a time and mix until incorporated well.
Add in the sour cream and vanilla and blend well.
Add in your mashed bananas and mix until incorporated.
Add in your salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until blended.
Slowly add in your all purpose flour until mixed well but not over mixed. This will make the cake tough.
Divide the batter into your three cake pans.
Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until your cakes are lightly golden brown and the center springs back. Do not over bake!!
Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn them onto a wire rack to cool. Make sure they are completely cool before frosting.
I put mine in the fridge for about 20 minutes to make sure they are totally chilled before you frost them.
While the cake is cooling, make the frosting:
In your stand mixer, beat the softened cream cheese and butter until mixed well.
Add in the salt and vanilla bean paste.
Slowly add in the 1 pound of confectioners sugar until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
Using an ice cream scoop to measure the same amount between the layers, frost the cake.
I crumb coat it, and chill it until it’s firm enough for its final coat.
Evenly distribute the buttercream up the sides and on top of the cake.
Add chopped walnuts on the top and bottom as I have in the photos, if desired.
Keep in the fridge if the cake isn’t eaten that day.
Slice individual pieces and wrap first in wax paper and foil, then freeze for up to two months!
Enjoy!!!