Best-Ever Banana Cake

Sweet, ripe bananas are the key to making a great banana cake. If you'd like me to show you how to cook the perfect banana cake check out my blog The Ultimate Banana Cake.

Prep time :15 mins

Cook time:1 hour (less for smaller cakes)

Makes:1 large cake, 4 small cakes or 12 muffin-sized cakes

• 250g butter, at room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
  
• 4 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed (about 2 cups)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup hot milk
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

Lemon Icing:

• 50g butter, at room temperature
• 3 cups icing sugar
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• ½ tbsp hot water 

Preheat oven to 170°C fanbake. Line a medium (23cm-diameter) cake tin with baking paper or prepare four 10cm-diameter tins (recycled 425g tuna cans are perfect – just make sure they don't have a plastic coating inside) or 12 muffin tins.
Beat butter and sugar until creamy. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then vanilla and bananas.
Dissolve baking soda in hot milk, add to mixture and stir to combine.
Sift in flour and baking powder and fold gently into mixture using a big spoon and a large scooping action to keep the mixture light. Do not over mix.
Spoon mixture into prepared tin(s) and smooth top(s). Bake until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and the top is springy to the touch. One large cake will take 50-60 minutes, allow 45-55 minutes for medium cakes and about 20 minutes for muffin-sized cakes. Allow to cool in tin(s) and then turn out. Ice when cool. Store in a sealed container in a cool place for 2-3 days or freeze.
To make the Lemon Icing, beat together butter, icing sugar, lemon juice and hot water until creamy. Spread over cake.