Simple Banana Snacking Cake

Whenever I see a rotting banana I feel obligated to make banana bread or cake.  It is clearly the right thing to do.  Nothing beats some lovely toasted banana bread slathered with some cold butter.  Banana bread is simple to make and even easier to eat - trust me, I have eaten many loaves of banana bread in my lifetime.  This is my go to recipe for banana bread.  Of course I make many variations of it - add nuts, coconut, chocolate chips, rum, anything you like to mix in - go to town my friend!  Be sure the bananas are nice and ripe - if they aren't  it will change the flavor of the cake....Browner is better, black is usually they have gone too far, if there are bugs swarming the bananas it is clearly best not to use them.

Can you believe summer is coming to a close?  It went by so quickly!!!!  The heat took a while to really get brutal down here in Texas, only about a week ago did it get insanely hot - the kind of hot you feel in a sauna.  Yuck!  Really looking forward to the Fall!

Banana Snacking Cake

From Martha Stewart.com

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 9x5x3" loaf pan or bundt pan and set aside.

Cream Butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add in eggs and beat to combine.

In separate medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the butter mixture and mix until just combined - DO NOT OVERMIX!  Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla - stir to combine.  Add the nuts and stir.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake until toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean - about 40 minutes-hour, depending upon which pan you use.  Allow to cool in pan 1 hour then remove from pan. 

Enjoy these last days of summer!!!

Eat your heart out,

Dagny