Karin and I are both huge fans of banana cakes/breads/assorted desserts, as well as nutella. And when you put the two together... WOW.
The best thing about this cake (besides its sheer awesomeness) is that its a really easy cake to make and you can use up those overripe bananas that no one in the house will eat or that you've thrown in the freezer with good intentions (I think we all have a few black bananas in the back of our freezers).
Without further ado:
For the cake:
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar (the original recipe call for superfine sugar, but regular worked just fine)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large bananas)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9 x 13 cake pan with parchment paper. Or alternatively you can butter and flour the pan, knocking off excess flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat on low until just combined. Add in vanilla and mashed bananas and mix until just combined. With mixer on low add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add half the buttermilk. Alternate flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with buttermilk. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on center rack for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then turn cake out onto a cooling rack and remove parchment (or just leave it in the pan and serve it from there). Allow cake to cool completely before frosting (or, if you're impatient like me, put the frosting on while its still warm and dig in. either way).
For the frosting:
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Nutella
3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream (or condensed milk) (or skim milk... with all that butter it will be fine)
In a stand mixer beat butter and Nutella on medium, about 1 minute until fully combined. Add in confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time. Mixture will appear crumbly. Add in 2 tablespoons of cream and continue beating on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. Add additional tablespoons of cream until the frosting reaches a soft, spreadable consistency. I used 4 tablespoons in total. Generously spread frosting over cooled cake. For a smooth finish, run your knife or offset spatula under hot water and gently smooth the surface, rinsing off it off after each swipe (or just dollop it on and enjoy).
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar (the original recipe call for superfine sugar, but regular worked just fine)
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 large bananas)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 9 x 13 cake pan with parchment paper. Or alternatively you can butter and flour the pan, knocking off excess flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time and beat on low until just combined. Add in vanilla and mashed bananas and mix until just combined. With mixer on low add 1/3 of the flour mixture and beat until just combined. Add half the buttermilk. Alternate flour and buttermilk, starting and ending with buttermilk. Do not over mix. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake on center rack for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then turn cake out onto a cooling rack and remove parchment (or just leave it in the pan and serve it from there). Allow cake to cool completely before frosting (or, if you're impatient like me, put the frosting on while its still warm and dig in. either way).
For the frosting:
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup Nutella
3 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar, sifted
2-4 tablespoons heavy cream (or condensed milk) (or skim milk... with all that butter it will be fine)
In a stand mixer beat butter and Nutella on medium, about 1 minute until fully combined. Add in confectioners sugar 1 cup at a time. Mixture will appear crumbly. Add in 2 tablespoons of cream and continue beating on medium-high speed for about 3 minutes. Add additional tablespoons of cream until the frosting reaches a soft, spreadable consistency. I used 4 tablespoons in total. Generously spread frosting over cooled cake. For a smooth finish, run your knife or offset spatula under hot water and gently smooth the surface, rinsing off it off after each swipe (or just dollop it on and enjoy).
This cake is so moist and tender
warm cake, gooey frosting, large fork
Also... just to give you a peak into my valentines creations:
Home-dipped chocolate strawberries
