Banana Pound Cake

 

I discovered this recipe in a fit of desperation. I had numerous over-ripe bananas that needed to be used immediately. I wasn't thinking muffins or bread. I found this recipe in the 20th Anniversary Edition of the Southern Living Annual Recipes Cookbook. If you've never had one of the Southern Living Cookbooks, go get one. Now.

My husband was in love. His son joined the fan club. It's better than Banana Bread. It's just right.

I am particular about some of the products I use when baking. For example, only use REAL butter. No substitutes. You can taste the difference.

Another thing I'll mention is how to measure flour. I'm amazed at how many people don't know that you gently spoon the flour into the measure cup, then level off with a knife. You don't want to pack the flour because it will make your cake dry.

I hope you enjoy this wonderful recipe!

Banana Pound Cake

1 cup Crisco Shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups sugar

5 large eggs

3 really ripe bananas, mashed

3 tablespoons milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Grease and flour a 10-inch pound cake pan. Use wax paper, greased and floured, to line the bottom.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine banana, milk and vanilla. Set aside.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat shortening and butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add the sugar. Add eggs, one at a time.

Add banana mixture and flour mixture alternately into the shortening mixture. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Blend until just mixed. Don't overbeat the batter.

Pour into the prepared pan.

Bake for 80 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from cake pan and cool on a wire rack.

Yield: One cake

Baked Bananas

I grew up watching my two grandmothers cook. Neither was big on measuring anything. Most of their recipes were from their memories. That worked great for them but wasn’t real helpful when I tried to cook.

So I started reading cookbooks. And I learned a few basics. Like always pack your brown sugar into the measuring cup. And lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup, then use a flat edge to level it off.

 

This recipe comes from another yellowed clipping. Better get used to it. I found a large brown paperbag full of old recipes just waiting to be shared.

Baked Bananas

1 cup brown sugar
¼ cup butter
1 cup water
Dash salt
1 lemon, zest and juice
6 bananas, just underripe, not speckled or green

In small saucepan, bring sugar, butter, water, salt and lemon juice to boil. Cook briefly until syrupy. Add lemon zest.

Peel bananas and cut half, lengthwise. Place cut side down in lightly buttered glass baking dish. Do not overlap. Pour on syrup.

Bake at 300 degrees 10 minutes. Baste and cook another 10 minutes. Baste and cook another 10 minutes. Serve with syrup.

Makes 12 servings, approximately 132 calories per serving.

Fried Bananas

This is just such a unique recipe. And it sounds tropically delicious. There’s just something about bananas and coconut. Of course, the deep fried probably means Texas or somewhere in the Deep South. It’s another one of those old newspaper clippings so who knows?

Fried Bananas

1 cup rice flour or cornstarch
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ cup freshly grated coconut (or unsweetened, dried, shredded coconut)
1 to 1 ¼ cups unsweetened coconut milk
6 to 8 bananas
3 cups oil for deep-frying (approximately)

Combine rice flour, sugar, baking powder and coconut in bowl. Whisk in one cup coconut milk. Batter should be thick but pourable. If too thick, whisk in more coconut milk. Let batter stand 20 minutes.

Peel bananas and cut into thick, diagonal slices. Dip bananas into batter.

Heat at least 2 inches oil in wok or electric skillet to 375 degrees. Fry bananas 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown, working in several batches so as not to crowd pan. Drain on paper towels.

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Banana-Nut Cake

This is another of those yellowed newspaper clippings from who knows where. Those who know me will realize that I rarely ever use walnuts, even though this recipe calls for them. I substitute pecans. I live in the Deep South and pecans are what we grow.

Banana-Nut Cake

1 ¾ cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ lb butter or margarine
1 ½ cups sugar
3 eggs, well beaten
3 very soft bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift together cake flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream butter with sugar until smooth. Add well-beaten eggs, beating until blended. Beat in bananas, then walnuts and vanilla. Fold sifted dry ingredients into banana mixture. Turn batter into greased and floured 9-inch square baking pan.

Bake at 350 degrees 40 to 50 minutes or until cake tests done in center. Serve plain, or, if desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar or dollop with whipped cream. Cut into bars or squares.

Makes 9 servings.

Cholesterol-Free Banana Bread

This recipe come from the May 1991 Good Housekeeping magazine. Okay. I admit it. I’ve been collecting recipes for a long, long time.

Oh, and I rarely ever use walnuts. I live in the Deep South. We use pecans. Why? Because We have a pecan orchard. And they taste good.

Cholesterol-Free Banana Bread

2 ¼ all-purpose flour
2/3 cup honey-crunch wheat germ
½ cup oats, uncooked
¼ cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
10 tablespoons light corn-oil spread (1 ¼ sticks)
1 ½ cups mashed bananas (about 3 medium bananas)
1 6-oz. can frozen apple-juice concentrate, thawed
½ cup thawed frozen egg substitute
1/3 cup walnuts, optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

About 2 hours before serving or early in day:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. In large bowl, mix flour, wheat germ, oats, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With pastry blender, cut in corn-oil spread until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in bananas, undiluted apple-juice concentrate, egg substitute, walnuts and vanilla just until flour is moistened. Spoon batter into pan.

Bake 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of bread comes out clean. Cool bread in pan on wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pan and cool slightly. Serve warm, or cool completely to serve later.

Makes 18 servings, about 180 calories per slice.

Original Nilla Banana Pudding

I don't ever remember not eating Banana Pudding. It was a staple at our house when I was growing up. And always made with Nilla Wafers. I'm not even sure there is another brand out there. Anyway, here's the recipe as printed on the side of the box.

The recipe calls for three layers with the pudding. I always did two layers. I know. It's because that's how my Mother does it. Either way works great!

Original Nilla Banana Pudding

3/4 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup flour
dash salt
3 eggs, separated
2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
45 Nilla Wafers, divided (think one box)
5 medium ripe bananas, sliced (about 3 1/2 cups)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix 1/2 cup of the sugar, flour and salt in top of double boiler. Blend in 3 egg yolks and milk. Cook, uncovered, over boiling water 10 to 12 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

Reserve 12 wafers for garnish. Spread small amount of custard on bottom of 1-1/2 quart baking dish; cover with lyers of 1/3 each of the remaining wafers and sliced bananas. Pour about 1/3 of the remaining custard over bananas. Continue to layer wafers, bananas and custard to make a total of 3 layers of each, ending with the custard.

Beat egg whites on HIGH with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff peaks form. Spoon over custard; spread evenly to cover entire surface of custard and sealing well to edge.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly. Top with reserved 12 wafers just before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge.