Banana-Raspberry Cake With Lemon Frosting

Mashed ripe bananas mixed into the batter make this cake extra moist. The cream cheese icing, flavored with lemon zest and vanilla extract, serves as the base layer for the fresh raspberry filling and the outer frosting.

Ingredients:

• Cake:
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 large eggs
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana (about 2 bananas)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Frosting:
• 3/4 cup (6 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, chilled
• 2 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Dash of salt
• 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare the cake, coat 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray; line bottoms with wax paper. Coat wax paper with cooking spray; dust each pan with 1 1/2 teaspoons flour.
3. Place granulated sugar and 1/4 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 3 minutes). Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Lightly spoon 1 3/4 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt, stirring well with a whisk.
5. Combine buttermilk, banana, and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately to the sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture (mix after each addition just until blended). Pour batter into prepared pans.
6. Bake cake at 350° for 25 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Peel off wax paper. Cool layers completely on wire rack.
7. To prepare frosting, combine cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, rind, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and dash of salt in a large bowl. Beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar; beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat).
8. Place 1 cake layer on a plate, and spread with 1/3 cup frosting. Arrange raspberries in a single layer over frosting, and top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in refrigerator. Garnish with fresh raspberries, if desired.

Note: 

 

You can line the bottoms of the cake pans with either wax paper or parchment paper to keep the cake layers from sticking to the pans.

Cooking Light
JANUARY 2003