|
Daley
provides excellent information and tips on baking, ingredients and
substitutions. There are 140 scrumptious recipes and color photos, including
Caramel Apple and Sweet Cream Cheesecake, and Black Chocolate Espresso Cake
with Bittersweet Glaze! Enjoy this moist banana cake with its sweet,
extra-creamy icing!
BANANA-STRAWBERRY
LAYER CAKE
Ingredients should be at room temperature.
Cake
Layers
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas (about 3 large)
2 cups cake-and-pastry flour
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup full-fat sour cream
Cream
Cheese Icing
1 lb. cream cheese
1/2 cup unsalted butter
500 gram package (about 4 to 4 1/3 cups) icing sugar, sifted
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 quart fresh ripe strawberries
Preheat
oven to 350° F. Grease and flour 2 - 9" round cake pans. Cream butter
and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time,
beating well after each addition. (Don't worry if batter separates.) Add
vanilla and bananas; blend well.
Sift
together dry ingredients. Add half to banana mixture; blend briefly. Scrape
down bowl and beat in sour cream. Add remaining flour mixture, stirring just
until mixed. Pour batter into pans.
Bake
on center rack of oven at 350 F for 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 5 to 7
minutes. Invert onto a cake rack; cool completely.
Beat
cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Sift
in icing sugar 1 cup at a time. Beat in vanilla and lemon juice. Cover and
refrigerate 15 minutes (or up to 2 days).
Spread
one layer with a generous amount of icing. Refrigerate 15 minutes. Reserve
10 to 12 berries for garnishing. Hull remaining berries; cut in thirds
lengthwise and arrange over frosted layer. Cover with unfrosted layer. Press
down gently so it will adhere. Spread top and sides with remaining icing.
Refrigerate up to 24 hours. Garnish with reserved berries up to 6 hours
before serving.
Makes
10 to 12 servings
|
