Banana Cake

This is perhaps the most popular thing I make, so I'll start with it, even though I think you all already have the recipe. [Updated to include photo 1/2011. Photo credit: Joel Straus.]

Cake
2.5 cups sugar
1 cup shortening or butter
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp. baking soda
3 cups flour
1 tbsp vanilla
6 very ripe bananas (2.5 cups) - I think you really need 7 to get 2.5 cups, but I've had it with fewer bananas and it was equally tasty. This is probably obvious, but you have to mash them.

Frosting
6 cups powdered sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup butter
½ cup coffee

1. Preheat the oven to 350
2. Grease and flour 3 9 inch cake pans and set aside
3. Cream together the sugar, butter. It will be dry and crumbly
4. Add eggs and beat well
5. Mix in sour cream
6. In separate bowl sift together flour and baking soda
7. Add flour mixture to the liquid mixture.
8. Add in the mashed bananas and pure vanilla extract
9. Divide into three pans and bake 30-35 minutes.

Cake freezes well. Recipe says you can frost it while slightly frozen, but I’ve never tried it…