Banana Buttermilk Layer Cake

For the first time in years I have an oven that bakes cakes perfectly. The temperature is exact, the heat even. We’re on a bit of a roll with birthdays in this family at the moment so it’s been getting a bit of work out and each and every time, the cake has been baked to perfection. I’m pretty excited by this and I’m in the baking mode! I experimented with an old recipe for my son’s class birthday cake, which turned out well. This weekend I expanded on it again, and I’ve come up with a pretty delicious banana buttermilk layer cake. It’s also fairly simple to make.

120g soft butter

240g caster sugar

4 well ripened bananas mashed with a fork

4 eggs, whisked

440g self raising flour, sifted

1-teaspoon vanilla essence

1 cup buttermilk

Frosting

100g unsalted butter, softened

500g cream cheese chopped

2 ½ cups icing sugar mixture, sifted

fine zest of 1/4 lemon

Cream sugar and butter; add eggs, vanilla essence, flour and mx to a batter, add buttermilk, mashed banana and mix until combined.

Divide the mixture between 2 x 20cm-round lightly greased cake tins lined with non-stick baking paper and bake for 35 mins at 180°C or until a knife comes outs clean when testing.

Cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

To make the frosting, place the butter and cream cheese in an electric mixer and beat until pale and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the icing sugar and lemon zest until pale and fluffy.

Trim the tops from the cakes and slice in half horizontally, I find a long bread knife works best. Place one cake layer on a plate and spread with ¼ of the frosting. Repeat with remaining layers and frosting.

Enjoy!

Mel xx