BANANA NUT CAKE

While I might not think of myself as being lucky (I like to consider myself as being blessed!), I do have to admit I am really lucky in choosing recipes that turn out to be really successful. My husband sometimes gets a little peeved at me because I will make a recipe I have never made before to serve to people when they come to our house or to take to a gathering (potluck).

Once again I found a really delicious Banana Nut Cake that I took to the volunteers at Hillcrest Thrift Shop last Tuesday. (The recipe was credited to Mrs. Eli H. Hochstetler in my Heritage Country Harvest Cookbook. I have found so many good recipes in this Amish cookbook from Northern Indiana.) Quite a few volunteers thanked me and told me how much they enjoyed it. At one point, I heard someone yelling "Patricia". I kept looking around but couldn't see who kept yelling my name. Finally I saw Volunteer Jerry across the room and he said, "That cake you brought was delicious!" (Jerry and his wife Sharon give up sugar for Lent so he was excited when he saw me come in with it.) I am glad he was able to enjoy a piece.

Many times I have said here that when I look at a recipe and see the words "2 cups sugar", I just pass it by. This recipe just sounded so good, I just couldn't do it this time. I had ever intention to use 2 cups of sugar in it, but when I started measuring it out, I just couldn't. I know reducing it by 1/4 cup isn't much, but any little bit helps and it didn't alter the taste at all. I will leave it up to you as to the amount you use in the recipe.

I always make whatever I take the day before because I have to be at the thrift shop at 9:30 and that just doesn't give me enough time before I go to make it. Anytime I make desserts with fruit, I think they are better the next day. I will wrap in foil (breads) or cover in my travel cake servers that have covers. For this cake, I waited until the next morning to dust it with the powdered sugar. 

IF YOU WANT A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS RECIPE, CLICK HERE.

BANANA NUT CAKE

3         cups all purpose flour
2         cups sugar (I only used 1-3/4 cups)
1         teaspoon baking powder
1         teaspoon baking soda
1         teaspoon salt
1         teaspoon ground cinnamon
1         teaspoon nutmeg
4         eggs (slightly beaten)
1-1/3   cups oil
1-1/2   teaspoons vanilla extract
1         (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, undrained (I spooned out 1 cup of crushed pineapple and juice from a 20 oz can.)
2         cups mashed ripe bananas (I had to use 5 bananas.)
1-1/2   cups chopped walnuts
confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or spray a 10" tube pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients.

Combine the eggs, oil, and vanilla and

then beat in eggs, oil, and vanilla into the dry ingredients.

 

Fold in pineapple, bananas, and nuts.

(I changed to my wooden spoon.)

Pour into  pan.

Bake for 60 - 65 minutes, or until cake tests done. (I baked mine 65 minutes.)

Cool in pan 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

(When I inverted mine onto a wire rack, the cake didn't release, so I just left it to cool and didn't force the cake to drop.

The cake finally released but I did tap the rack several times on the table before it did.)

Finish cooling completely on wire rack. (At this point I put the cake on my cake carrier and closed the lid

until the next morning.

Then I dusted the cake with confectioner's sugar.)