more re: banana cake
Taste test of banana cake still pending. However, I did attempt the banana frosting this morning. Also, this morning I was directed to a banana cake recipe that's similar, but calls for sour cream rather than buttermilk. So, changes I'm thinking to make right off the bat:
- Use sour cream for the next iteration of the cake. Or maybe 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup water. The sour cream may be more effective at activating the baking soda. (However, if the cake doesn't rise more, maybe I'd switch to baking powder.)
- As previously mentioned, make all the batter in one pan, rather than splitting it between two. But also, spread the frosting over the cake and serve it directly from the pan.
- The banana frosting came out relatively thin. I could've tried to stiffen it up by added more powdered sugar, but it seemed sweet enough already with 2.5 cups. (And it wasn't too thin to spread, just not stiff enough to hold shape. It's also worthwhile to remember, for future reference, that the banana mixture was probably thinner than it might otherwise have been because of the whole 'over-ripe bananas frozen, thawed, and pureed' thing.)
I added in some pumpkin pie spice because it seemed to need it. Next time I'll probably add more (but I took it easy this time because I don't have the most sensitive palate and I was just sprinkling the spice in rather than measuring and I didn't want to run the risk of over-spicing). Alternately, I'm thinking the frosting as-is would be pair well with a spice (or ginger) cake.
Anyway.
In the fridge cake sits and waits and tomorrow shall be eaten.
- Use sour cream for the next iteration of the cake. Or maybe 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup water. The sour cream may be more effective at activating the baking soda. (However, if the cake doesn't rise more, maybe I'd switch to baking powder.)
- As previously mentioned, make all the batter in one pan, rather than splitting it between two. But also, spread the frosting over the cake and serve it directly from the pan.
- The banana frosting came out relatively thin. I could've tried to stiffen it up by added more powdered sugar, but it seemed sweet enough already with 2.5 cups. (And it wasn't too thin to spread, just not stiff enough to hold shape. It's also worthwhile to remember, for future reference, that the banana mixture was probably thinner than it might otherwise have been because of the whole 'over-ripe bananas frozen, thawed, and pureed' thing.)
I added in some pumpkin pie spice because it seemed to need it. Next time I'll probably add more (but I took it easy this time because I don't have the most sensitive palate and I was just sprinkling the spice in rather than measuring and I didn't want to run the risk of over-spicing). Alternately, I'm thinking the frosting as-is would be pair well with a spice (or ginger) cake.
Anyway.
In the fridge cake sits and waits and tomorrow shall be eaten.