I am especially attracted to recipes that bill themselves as “even better the next day”–as a baker who doesn’t always have a crowd to bake for, it helps being able to extend the life of a dessert (and if it is eligible to become breakfast, all the better). So when I found this recipe in Dorie Greenspan’s Baking, I figured it would be practical enough. And healthy (bananas)! And, as much as I like it a day or two old, it is AMAZING right out of the oven. Even though it was 10 pm by the time I finished making this, I kept sneaking back into the kitchen to trim slivers as it was cooling. After a day or two, the texture changes from fluffy–almost bouncy–to dense, closer to pound cake, with a more concentrated, banana-y flavor.
I served this accessorized with slightly-sweetened whipped cream and sliced strawberries, which added a sweet-tart element–really good. You could also dust it with powdered sugar, and I don’t think you would get any complaints if you served it plain.
Classic Banana Bundt Cake (from Dorie Greenspan’s Baking: From My Home to Yours)
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 4 very ripe bananas (1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups), mashed
- 1 cup sour cream or plain yogurt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch Bundt pan.
Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in eggs one at a time, for about a minute after each, then mix in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and mix in mashed bananas. Keeping the mixer on low, add half of the flour mixture (batter will likely appear curdled), the sour cream or yogurt, and the rest of the flour mixture, just until flour disappears–do not overmix.
Bake 65 to 75 minutes, or until inserted cake tester coes out clean. Start to check the cake after 30 minutes, and if it is already a dark-gold color, cover the cake with a piece of tented foil to prevent an overly-browned exterior. Cool the cake in its pan on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then unmold the cake onto the rack to finish cooling. Store tightly wrapped in plastic.
Comments 6
Looks very banana-y. Yum.
Posted 16 Apr 2009 at 12:03 am ¶banana bread is always awesome the next day!
Posted 17 Apr 2009 at 4:46 pm ¶This looks moist and wonderful! Glad to have found your blog! You have a lot of wonderful recipes here!
Posted 06 May 2009 at 1:57 am ¶Last night I made my first bundt cake using this recipe. The initial fluffy texture is irresistible! I look forward to experiencing the taste-texture evolution over the next few days. Thank you, Gena.
Posted 29 Jun 2009 at 6:58 am ¶You can’t beat banana cake, in my book its the best. Lovely recipe, your instructions are clear and easy to follow.
Posted 13 Jul 2009 at 12:09 am ¶Love your idea of serving the cake with strawberries and cream.
My mother had this recipe for years, and I make this cake frequently. It’s absolutely one of the best basic banana bundt cake recipes out there. Every time I make it and bring it to a function, I get asked for the recipe. It’s moist, light, and delicious. And by the way, the picture does NOT do it justice, mine always comes out looking high and lovely. The only change I make from the above recipe is to reduce the sugar to 1 1/2 c., but this is not necessary- tastes good either way! Also, sometimes I add 1 c. chopped walnuts. YUM!
Posted 17 Dec 2009 at 2:30 pm ¶Post a Comment