By popular demand ... the recipe for the Banana-Strawberry Layer Cake
CAKE LAYERS:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, but not overly soft
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large), at room temperature
2 cups cake flour, not self-rising
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
CREAM CHEESE ICING
1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (500 grams, about 4 to 4 1/3 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Additional butter and all-purpose flour for greasing and dusting the cake pans.
1 quart fresh ripe strawberries, washed and dried, if necessary
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans and tap out the excess flour; set aside. In the bowl of an electric or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. If your butter is too warm, or your eggs too cold, the batter may begin to separate; don't worry, it will come together when the last ingredients are added. Add the vanilla and the mashed bananas and blend well. Again, this addition may seem to completely curdle the batter if the ingredients were not the correct temperature. No need to panic- all will be well.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add 1/2 of this mixture to the banana mixture, blending just to moisten the flour. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the sour cream. Scrape again, then add the remaining flour mixture, stirring just until the batter is evenly mixed. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
3. Set the cakes on the centre rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are light golden and spring back when touched and a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Rotate the pans once during baking so the cakes bake evenly. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 7 minutes, then invert onto the racks and cool completely before icing or wrapping and storing. (The cakes can be made up to this point up to one day ahead, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature. They may also be frozen up to 3 months; thaw and bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
4. Prepare the Cream Cheese Icing: in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until they are smooth, light and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes. The icing can also be made by hand- a strong one!- by beating with a wooden spoon. Add the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, re-sifting it over the cream cheese mixture. Beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue adding the sugar one cup at a time, until almost all the sugar has been smoothly incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, and lemon juice, then the remaining sugar. Taste the icing: it should be rich, cheesy and sweet, but not achingly so. If necessary, add a few drops more lemon juice or vanilla to your taste. Cover the icing and refrigerate it for 15 to 30 minutes before icing the cake to firm it up enough to support the layers. (The icing may br prepared up to 2 days ahead of time, and stored covered in the refrigerator. Allow the icing to return to room temperature or near it before spreading.)
5. Place one layer of the cake on a cardboard cake circle or a platter. Spread the top of the first layer with a generous amount of icing, not going over the edges. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, to firm up the icing again. Meanwhile, reserve 10 to 12 pretty, small strawberries, and one large one. Hull the remainig berries and cut them in thirds from hull to point. Remove the iced layer from the refrigerator and cover the top with slices of strawberries. Feel free to overlap the slices slightly, but don't pile or stack them, or your next layer will topple over! Top the strawberries with the second cake layer, centring it over the first tier. Press down gently to make it adhere to the berries and icing. Spread the top and sides generously with the remaining icing, then immediately place the entire cake in the refrigerator, for at least 20 minutes, or up to 24 hours, before serving.
6. If the cake has been chilled for more than a few hours, remove it from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before serving so it is not too cold. Just before serving, cut the large strawberry several time from point to hull, not cutting through the stem. Push down lightly on the fat part of the berry, and it will fan out. Cut the remaining berries once from point to stem, again not severing the halves from the hull, then twist slightly, 'fanning' the little berries. Settle one berry at each of ten evenly spaced places around the outside of the cake, one for each piece. Once the cake has been decorated, it should be served within 6 hours or so, as the strawberries tend to pull the moisture from the icing, creating runny pink patches in the cream cheese. If the cake is to be made ahead, keep the icing chilled until needed, the cake layers wrapped and stored separately and assemble just before serving.
Jen, I make this cake with no fancier equipment than a wooden spoon and a small hand beater.
Scotty spoke with Mother yesterday and she said you were going to St. Louis to check out the university. Hope you have a good trip- let us know how it went. Love, Laura
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, but not overly soft
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large), at room temperature
2 cups cake flour, not self-rising
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
CREAM CHEESE ICING
1 pound (two 8-ounce packages) Philadelphia brand cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 package (500 grams, about 4 to 4 1/3 cups) confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Additional butter and all-purpose flour for greasing and dusting the cake pans.
1 quart fresh ripe strawberries, washed and dried, if necessary
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and lightly flour two 9-inch round cake pans and tap out the excess flour; set aside. In the bowl of an electric or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or a large mixing bowl if mixing by hand, cream the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. If your butter is too warm, or your eggs too cold, the batter may begin to separate; don't worry, it will come together when the last ingredients are added. Add the vanilla and the mashed bananas and blend well. Again, this addition may seem to completely curdle the batter if the ingredients were not the correct temperature. No need to panic- all will be well.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Add 1/2 of this mixture to the banana mixture, blending just to moisten the flour. Scrape down the bowl and beat in the sour cream. Scrape again, then add the remaining flour mixture, stirring just until the batter is evenly mixed. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.
3. Set the cakes on the centre rack of the oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the tops are light golden and spring back when touched and a wooden skewer inserted into the centre of each cake comes out clean. Rotate the pans once during baking so the cakes bake evenly. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 7 minutes, then invert onto the racks and cool completely before icing or wrapping and storing. (The cakes can be made up to this point up to one day ahead, then wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature. They may also be frozen up to 3 months; thaw and bring to room temperature before proceeding.)
4. Prepare the Cream Cheese Icing: in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together until they are smooth, light and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes. The icing can also be made by hand- a strong one!- by beating with a wooden spoon. Add the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, re-sifting it over the cream cheese mixture. Beat well and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Continue adding the sugar one cup at a time, until almost all the sugar has been smoothly incorporated. Beat in the vanilla, and lemon juice, then the remaining sugar. Taste the icing: it should be rich, cheesy and sweet, but not achingly so. If necessary, add a few drops more lemon juice or vanilla to your taste. Cover the icing and refrigerate it for 15 to 30 minutes before icing the cake to firm it up enough to support the layers. (The icing may br prepared up to 2 days ahead of time, and stored covered in the refrigerator. Allow the icing to return to room temperature or near it before spreading.)
5. Place one layer of the cake on a cardboard cake circle or a platter. Spread the top of the first layer with a generous amount of icing, not going over the edges. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, to firm up the icing again. Meanwhile, reserve 10 to 12 pretty, small strawberries, and one large one. Hull the remainig berries and cut them in thirds from hull to point. Remove the iced layer from the refrigerator and cover the top with slices of strawberries. Feel free to overlap the slices slightly, but don't pile or stack them, or your next layer will topple over! Top the strawberries with the second cake layer, centring it over the first tier. Press down gently to make it adhere to the berries and icing. Spread the top and sides generously with the remaining icing, then immediately place the entire cake in the refrigerator, for at least 20 minutes, or up to 24 hours, before serving.
6. If the cake has been chilled for more than a few hours, remove it from the refrigerator 30 to 45 minutes before serving so it is not too cold. Just before serving, cut the large strawberry several time from point to hull, not cutting through the stem. Push down lightly on the fat part of the berry, and it will fan out. Cut the remaining berries once from point to stem, again not severing the halves from the hull, then twist slightly, 'fanning' the little berries. Settle one berry at each of ten evenly spaced places around the outside of the cake, one for each piece. Once the cake has been decorated, it should be served within 6 hours or so, as the strawberries tend to pull the moisture from the icing, creating runny pink patches in the cream cheese. If the cake is to be made ahead, keep the icing chilled until needed, the cake layers wrapped and stored separately and assemble just before serving.
Jen, I make this cake with no fancier equipment than a wooden spoon and a small hand beater.
Scotty spoke with Mother yesterday and she said you were going to St. Louis to check out the university. Hope you have a good trip- let us know how it went. Love, Laura
posted by Scott at 9:10 PM
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