It Doesn't Get Better Than This!

Of all the cakes I make, I think this one is probably the favorite of most people....

Banana Cake with Caramel Icing. 

 I made the cake four times this summer for four different events, and this is the only time I got any pictures of it. Part of the reason for that is because if I don't take pictures before we cut the cake, there is never any cake left to take pictures of afterwards. It is that good. Both the cake and the icing are homemade. I know I know, it takes a little effort, but it is so worth it. This particular cake (pictured) was made for my Mother-in-Law's 80th birthday. I carted that cake over 100 miles on that cake stand just for her! 

I put my favorite banana cake recipe with my favorite caramel icing recipe. Here is the recipe for the yummy goodness:

 BANANA CAKE

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

2 tsp. lemon juice

3 cups flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1  1/2 tsp. baking soda

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 1/8 cups sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 275. (Yes, that is correct!) Grease and flour two round cake pans. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice, set aside. (The more ripe your bananas, the better the cake will be.) In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream  butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture, alternately with the buttermilk. Stir in the banana mixture. Pour into prepared pans and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place in the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist. 

 Caramel Icing

1 cup butter

2 cups firmly packed brown sugar

1/4 cup, plus 2 Tbs. whipping cream

2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 3/4 cups powdered sugar

Melt butter in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add brown sugar; bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in whipping cream and vanilla. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 hour. Transfer the frosting to a mixing bowl. Sift powdered sugar into frosting. Beat at high speed with an electric mixer until creamy and spreading consistency. Spread between layers and all over the top and sides. There should be plenty for a two-layer cake. (Yield 3 3/4 cups)

There you have it. THE best cake and icing. Of course sometimes I make the banana cake and put chocolate buttercream icing on it. OR I make caramel cake and put the caramel icing on it. MMMMM. So many good cake ideas!

By the way, do you say car-mel? Or car-a-mel?

I promise you will say "DELICIOUS" after you try this! 

My mother-in-law says it is her very favorite!
Edited to add: I had a reader write me and say her icing turned out very thick and she could not spread it. I have not had that happen but I "googled" it up and the answer is to add more of the whipping cream a tablespoon at a time. (My other suggestion would be to try 
3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar first and see how that works.)

The Hubs explaining to her how to use the new I-pad we got her for her birthday......  :)

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