Icebox Banana Cake with Chocolate Cream

Usually, I make banana muffins with mushy, overly ripe bananas, but today I was feeling a little cakey and no so much muffiny so I pulled out an old cookbook, the Land O’Lakes Treasury of Country Recipes, and found this great recipe.  Mine is not quite the fancy one from the cookbook, but a little bit of an easier version.  I knew I didn’t want to make a layer cake because this one needs to be refrigerated so I chose a 9 x 13 inch cake pan with a lid for ease of storage. 

Cake

1 cup sugar

2/3 cup butter or margarine, softened

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup {2 medium} mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup dairy sour cream

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

Heat oven to 350°.  In large mixer bowl combine sugar, butter and 2 tsp. vanilla.  Beat at low speed, scraping bowl often, until light and fluffy {1 to 2 minutes}.  Continue beating, adding eggs one at a time, until creamy {1 to 2 minutes}.  The cookbook calls for the rest of this to be done by hand but I continued to use my mixer set at the lowest speed.  By hand, stir in 1 cup bananas and sour cream.  Fold in flour and baking soda.  Pour into a greased and floured pan.  Bake for 28 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool completely. 

Chocolate Cream

1 1/2 cups whipping cream

3 tbsp. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted

In chilled small mixer bowl, beat chilled whipping cream at high speed, scraping bowl often, until soft peaks form.  Gradually add sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla; continue beating until stiff peaks form {1 to 2 minutes}.  Add melted chocolate; continue beating until well mixed {1 minute}.  {Do not overbeat.}  Frost cooled cake.  Refrigerate or freeze cake 2 hours or overnight.  Serve! 

mushy hugs, mb