Betty Jo's Banana Cake
Friday, October 01, 2004 @ 3:23 PM Betty Jo's Banana Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
3-4 RIPE bananas - mashed

*Add-Ins:
*raisins
*chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans)

Directions:

Combine all dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, baking soda, & salt) together in a mixing bowl and set aside. In another mixing bowl, cream together sugar and shortening. Stir in eggs. Add remaining ingredients (sour milk, vanilla, bananas). Next combine wet mixture with dry ingredient mixture. *If using nuts or raisins add them here. Grease and flour cake pans. Bake in 375* for 25 minutes. Let cool then ice with butter frosting recipe.
Yield: 1 (9x13), 2 (8"rounds) or 1 bundt cake. *You can also cook in loaf pans for a quick bread and omit frosting.

Butter Frosting:

Ingredients:

4 Tbsp. butter - softened
1 cup confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla
2-3 tsp. milk

Directions:

In mixing bowl combine sugar & butter. Then stir in the vanilla and the milk until frosting is a creamy glaze texture. Not supposed to be thick but it isn't supposed to be watery either. You may need to adjust the amount of milk or powdered suger.

*Note:
This recipe is one handed down to me by my paternal grandmother: Betty Jo Higgins Folks who inspired me to bake by letting us bake with her during summer vacations as a young kid. This banana cake was one that was most requested by family and friends alike and she turned the recipe over to me to be the new banana cake maker for the family. I have named the recipe in her honor. She has Alzheimer's now and can no longer bake like she used to love to do! So I proudly share her recipe for others to enjoy!