Happy eclipse day! Doing anything special for the big event? Did you get those coveted eclipse glasses? My answers: no and no. I’m so boring. I’ll stay inside with the puppies and feel weird for those few minutes when it’s a little dark at 2:30 in the afternoon.
Come back and tell me how great it was to watch, okay?
Let’s get into the good stuff. I’ve wanted to make my favorite banana cream pie as a layer cake for the past year. Remember when I shared my love/obsession for this banana cream pie? You know, the cake recipe where I stalked Kevin’s cousin like a complete lunatic. Turns out it’s also as moist/perfect/unbelievable as a layer cake.
That’s why it’s my favorite banana cream pie:
Banana flavor front and center.
Buttery and pasty.
With cinnamon spice.
Dense without tasting too heavy.
Soft crumb that holds its shape.
Easy to make, with very basic ingredients.
Just read the reviews… the cake is great.
Baking the banana cake like a layer cake changes the proportion of frosting to cake. More layers = more frosting in each bite. That’s certainly something we can all agree on. Besides, aren’t layer cakes a little more elegant? I don’t know about you, but I always feel more fulfilled and elegant serving a layer cake instead of a leaf cake.
La-di-da look at my kind of tall masterpiece.
Ingredients
3 large ripe bananas (about 1 and 1/2 cups of mash)
3 cups (375g) all-purpose flour (spoon and level)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (170g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
1/2 cup (100g) light or dark brown sugar.
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (360ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
Brown Butter and Glazed Cheese Cream
1/2 cup (115g) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 and 1/2 8-ounce blocks of cream cheese, softened at room temperature
4 cups (480g) of confectionery sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C) and grease three 9×2-inch round cake tins. Set aside.
Time-saving tip Brown butter in step 8 now, then place in the refrigerator to solidify as follows. This will save time when you are ready to make the glaze.
Make the cake: Crush the bananas. I usually use my blender for this! Set the mashed bananas aside.
Beat the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt together. Set aside.
Using a hand or foot mixer with a paddle, beat the butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar at high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Add the eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium-high speed until combined, then beat in the mashed bananas. Scrape sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Using a slow speed mixer, add dry ingredients in three alternating additions with buttermilk and mix each addition only until incorporated. Do not over-mix. The dough will be slightly thick. A few lumps are fine.
Divide the dough evenly among 3 trays. Bake for 22-26 minutes. Baking times vary, so watch yours. Cakes are made when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and place them on a wire rack. Allow them to cool completely on the rack.
Make the icing: Cut the butter into pieces and place them in a light-colored pan. (The light color helps determine when the butter begins to brown.) Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Continue to stir from time to time. After 5-8 minutes, the butter will begin to brown. You will notice that it starts to form slightly golden brown specks on the bottom of the pan and will have a nutty aroma. See the photo above for a picture. Once it is golden brown, remove it from the heat, and immediately pour it into a heatproof container. Refrigerate until solid.
In a large bowl using a hand or foot mixer equipped with a paddle or whisk, whisk the solid brown butter at high speed until it becomes creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat on high speed until combined, smooth and creamy. Add 4 cups of confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt. Beat at low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to v