Banana Snack Cake

By garciamoss

Garnish this fun cake with glossy roasted bananas for a chic, modern spin, or simply gild it with the cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

• Cream Cheese Frosting:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened $
• 1 cup granulated sugar $
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs $
• 1 1/3 cups mashed very ripe bananas (about 3 medium)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup chopped toasted pecans, divided
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Glazed Banana Slices:
• 4 ripe bananas
• 1 tablespoon butter, melted $
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar

Details

Adapted from southernliving.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer 1 to 2 minutes or until creamy. Gradually add both sugars, beating well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add mashed bananas and vanilla, and beat at low speed just until combined.
2. Stir together flour and next 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in 1/2 cup pecans. Spread batter in a greased and floured 15- x 10-inch jelly-roll pan.
3. Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour).
4. Spread cake with Cream Cheese Frosting. Top with Glazed Banana Slices, if desired. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
Beat butter and softened cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating at low speed until blended. Increase speed to medium-high; beat 1 to 2 minutes or until fluffy.

Glazed Banana Slices:
Preheat broiler with oven rack 5 to 6 inches from heat. Cut bananas in half crosswise; cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices, and place in a single layer on a lightly greased aluminum foil-lined baking sheet. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with brown sugar. Broil 4 to 5 minutes or until bubbly and just beginning to brown. (Keep an eye on the bananas while broiling to make sure they don't overbrown.)