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Banana Nut Cake




Banana Nut Cake
Source: Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1999 ed.), pg. 100.

It has been about 3 weeks since my last post and I've been itching to get baking. After 20 years, we replaced all of our kitchen appliances and this is the first Maida recipe I have made in our new oven. I've talked in detail in the past about Maida's recipes getting done much quicker than the time she notes in her recipes. I was anxious to see if this new oven was any different. Well, this recipe indicates at least 1 hour and the cake was done for me in about 52 minutes. So, I will continue to take her baking times with a grain of salt and set my timer 10-15 minutes ahead of the time she instructs.  I don't know - maybe ovens are just hotter now than they were in the 70s when she wrote her books.

We had some overly ripe bananas so I decided to make the Banana Cut Cake. It tastes just like banana bread that is made in loaves. It is simple to make and very delicious.

2 cups (7 oz.) pecan halves or large pieces
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large or 4 small bananas (to make 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups mashed)
1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 cup buttermilk

Adjust oven rack 1/3 from the bottom. Preheat to 375. Butter a 9 x 3 1/2 tube pan and dust it lightly with fine, dry bread crumbs.

Toss the nuts with 1 TBS. of the flour to coat them thoroughly. Set aside. Sift remainder of the flour with baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat the bananas on low speed to mash. Set aside.
 
In a separate bowl but with the same beaters, cream the butter and add the vanilla and the sugar.

Add the eggs and beat for 1-2 minutes.
On lowest speed, add half of the dry ingredients...
alternating with the milk. Add the remaining dry ingredients.
Stir in the bananas and the nuts.
Turn the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 1 hour to 1 1/4 hours or until tester comes out dry (start checking after 50 minutes).
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Comments

Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking said…
I've missed you! Can I just tell you that I'm super jealous of your new oven!? This cake looks delicious! I have about 15 bananas on my countertop and I think this cake is calling my name! Yes, 15 bananas all in the same stage of ripeness. Don't ask because I don't know.
September 22, 2013 at 7:56 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
We always seem to have overripe bananas lying around! The new oven is nothing special - it is actually electric, just like our old one. I know the rage is for gas ovens, but I've always used electric. :)
September 22, 2013 at 8:40 AM
Anonymous said…
Thank you for the recipe!! This is my go-to recipe for banana bread. I am baking while visiting family and dont have my cookbook with me!!
February 18, 2014 at 5:34 PM
Anonymous said…
Thanks for posting this. I learned about her recipes from my mom and grandmother. Couple of things to mention in your rendition. You omitted the amount of vanilla and you are using an angel food pan, not a tube pan. For novice bakers it could make a difference. Happy Heatter baking!
April 8, 2014 at 8:03 PM
Phillip Oliver said…
Thank you for that Anon, I have made the correction!
April 9, 2014 at 10:22 AM
Anonymous said…
In reading through this post, the baking time may have been different in the 10 x 4-inch tube pan it looks like you used. In the 9 x 3 1/2-inch tube pan, the time may have been correct. Incidentally, you can often find 9-inch tube pans on Ebay, as they are no longer manufactured, and Maida calls for them quite often in her recipes.
August 20, 2020 at 6:09 AM
Phillip Oliver said…
Thank you, you are probably correct on this. And now that you mention it, I don't believe I have a 9" pan. I will do some searching on E-bay. And perhaps I should try this recipe again.
August 20, 2020 at 7:54 AM
David Alexander said…
Phillip: I tried this today in a 9 X 3 1/2-inch tube pan, and I baked it for 1 hour 7 minutes. It was a little darker than your photo and didn't seem to crack as much on top. I thought maybe I had over baked it, but it was still an incredibly moist cake. Good luck searching for the pan on Ebay, and remember to be patient. It was made as a 1-piece pan (preferable), and also as a 2-piece pan. As far as I can tell most of the pans this size were made by Wearever.
August 23, 2020 at 7:44 PM
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