To Die For Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting
from ButterYum
makes one 8x8-inch pan (double recipe for a 9x13-inch pan)
Ingredients
Cake:
2/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
1 egg
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup mashed super ripe banana (about 2)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Frosting:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar, sifted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste* (see below)
Directions
To make cake (is easily mixed by hand):
Preheat the oven to 375F (see note below).
Cream together sugar, sour cream, egg, and 2 tablespoons softened butter.
Add mashed bananas and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
Add flour, salt, and baking soda; mix well.
Pour into greased 8x8-inch pan.
Bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely before frosting.
To make frosting:
Cream butter and confectioner's sugar together until smooth.
Slowly add the heavy cream and vanilla bean paste; stir until smooth.
Spread on cooled cake.
Notes
Vanilla bean paste is a product that can be purchased at gourmet groceries or you can order it online (linked below). Here's the general rule for substituting vanilla: 1 vanilla bean = 1 tablespoon vanilla powder = 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste = 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract.
Bake at 350F if using a glass pan.
IMPORTANT TIP
To ensure the cake bakes without a hump, wrap the cake pan with insulated baking strips.