BIRD'S NEST CAKE

I was afraid I might have forgotten how to use the register at the thrift shop, HPC Thrift Shop since it had been 4 weeks since I had last worked. I hadn't been there because of my cataract surgery that I had. I guess it's like riding a bike. I've done it long enough (7 yrs) that it all came back to me. 

Monday afternoon between working on another Blanket of Hope and doing some work on the computer, I made this Bird's Nest Cake to take for the volunteers. I paid a dollar for the cookbook, "Life-Saver" Cookbook, Favorite Recipes of Home Economics Teachers just because I saw two recipes that looked interesting. I didn't want to take any more time from the estate sale looking for other interesting recipes (and I still haven't had time, but I will). I had four bananas that were too ripe for me to eat and since my husband hadn't eaten them (he likes them ripe), the recipe sounded like a good use of the bananas. Except for omitting the optional nuts, I actually followed the recipe this time. (Volunteer Laura doesn't eat nuts in dishes, so I decided to leave them out so she could enjoy a piece - And she did.)

Click here for a printable version of just the recipe.

BIRD'S NEST CAKE

3       cups flour
1        teaspoon soda
2        cups sugar
1        teaspoon cinnamon
1/2     teaspoon salt
1-1/4  cups oil
1        teaspoon vanilla extract
1        cup crushed pineapple(I did drain it)
3        eggs, slightly beaten
1/4     cup applesauce
2        cups thinly sliced bananas
1        cup chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan. Set aside.

Sift flour, soda, sugar, cinnamon, and salt into large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center.

Combine the oil, vanilla, pineapple, eggs, and applesauce in a bowl. Slice the bananas and add them to the bowl making sure all the slices are coated.

Pour fruit mixture in well.

Stir with a spoon until well combined.

Pour into pan.

Bake 1 hour and 15 minutes or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Run a knife around the inside of the pan to make sure cake is loose.

Invert pan onto another wire rack and remove pan. Cool completely. May dust with powdered sugar before serving, if you like. (I did but forgot to take a picture as I was hurrying out to the thrift shop.)