old fashioned banana cake.

The Banana Cake (and let's be honest, the banana cupcakes as well) at Billy's Bakery in NYC are my version of kryptonite. The ethereal combination of cream cheese frosting and moist banana cake makes me weak in the knees.  Their version is the best I had ever had (and I've tried a lot of banana cakes). 

That was until I discovered Ina Garten's recipe for Old Fashioned Banana Cake and I felt as if my world was turned upside down because it tastes exactly like the one at Billy's.  Exactly!  I never imagined I would find a recipe that tastes so close to the original (there is a god).  So closely in fact that I can say with 90% certainty if I did a blind tasting I couldn't tell the difference between mine and the original.  

Now I can eat banana cake all the time which is a dangerous, dangerous thing.  

Old Fashioned Banana Cake

Recipe via Ina Garten

For the Banana Cake

3 very ripe bananas, mashed 
¾ cup granulated sugar 
½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed 
½ cup vegetable oil 
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature (large are fine, I've never had an issue)
½ cup sour cream 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
Grated zest of 1 orange 
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
½ teaspoon kosher salt 
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional) 
Walnut halves or pecan halves, for decorating (optional) 

For the Cream Cheese Frosting 

6 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature 
6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature 
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
2½ cups sifted confectioners’ sugar (½ pound) 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 × 2-inch round cake pan. 

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until smooth. 

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts, if using. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack, and cool completely. 

Make the Cream Cheese Frosting : Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don’t whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth. 

Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut/pecan halves, if using.