Grandma Lillie’s Banana Walnut Cake is, without a doubt, my favorite cake of all time.  She knew this was my favorite and I can remember her baking a banana cake for my birthday for years.  Grandma has been gone for many years, but I still remember her thoughtfulness and I still love my grandma and this cake!

 

   When the bananas begin in the basket begin to overripen, I place them in a plastic bag and transfer them to the refrigerator. Then I make banana bread or banana cake later.  If I know I won’t have time to make them for awhile, I transfer them to the freezer.  When it is time to make banana bread or cake, I just retrieve them and allow them to thaw for a few minutes.

 

    Notice how perfectly flat this layer cake is! If you remember, in an earlier post, I told you about how to keep your cakes from ‘doming’.  That technique was used on this cake, too.

I love how perfectly flat it is!

 

   Before this technique was discovered, I remember placing the top side of one of the layers down on the platter, so the bottoms would be sandwiched together nicely.  The only problem was the center was domed so the edges were off the plate.  That made it difficult to frost nicely.

    While I still sandwich the bottoms together, the tops are perfectly flat.  Yes, I could have cut off the dome, but who wants to waste that cake?  

    If you haven’t tried this technique, you simply have to try it!  You will be amazed!

 

  That brings up another secret I have.  This handy little ‘low tech’ device is what I use to create finely chopped nuts perfectly.

 

   When the kids were little, they were often given the job of cranking this little grinder to chop up the nuts.  They even thought it was fun.

 

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 Banana Walnut Cake

 

2-1/4 cups flour

1-2/3 cups sugar

1-1/4 tsp. baking powder

1-1/4 tsp. soda

1 tsp. salt

2/3 cup shortening

2/3 cup buttermilk

3 eggs

1-1/2 cups mashed ripe banana

2/3 cup finely chopped walnuts

 

Preheat oven to 350°.

 Line two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

 Place the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.

 Blend the shortening and sugar in a mixing bowl.  Add the eggs and ripe bananas and mix well. 

 Add half of the buttermilk and half of the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture, mix. Add the other half of each and mix until combined.

 Add the walnuts and fold into the cake mixture.  Divide evenly between the two lined cake pans.

 Bake for 30 -35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Don’t overbake!  Cool the cake before frosting.  The Cream Cheese Frosting below is great with this cake!

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Cream Cheese Frosting

 

4-1/2  ounces Cream Cheese

1 Tblsp. Butter

1-1/2 Tblsp. of Milk

1-1/2 tsp, Vanilla

Dash of Salt

3-3/4 cups Powdered Sugar

 

Blend cheese, milk, vanilla, and salt.  Gradually add the powdered sugar.  Beat until frosting is smooth and of spreading consistency. 

It should not need it, but if necessary, stir in some additional milk, a spoon at a time, until the frosting is of a good spreading consistency.

   Yes, having Grandma Lillie’s Banana Walnut Cake is one of my favorite memories from my childhood.