Banana cake with penuche frosting is a light and moist cake that comes together easily and is topped with a vintage butterscotch Penuche frosting. A great way to use overripe bananas!
About Banana Cake and Penuche Frosting
American banana recipes started being published in cookbooks in the late 19th century and remain a classic recipe today as a way to use overripe bananas. Banana cake and bread recipes became really popular starting in the 1920’s, when baking soda and powder became readily available and were heavily marketed to use as a leavener instead of yeast in baked goods. In the 1970’s, banana recipes were even marketed as “health food” even though the recipes contained large amounts of fat and sugars!
Penuche frosting is a vintage favorite topping for cakes and other baked goods and is similar to its fudge-like candy counterpart. It’s a type of boiled frosting that resembles more of a butterscotch flavor than caramel, as it has both brown and granulated sugars and often contains nuts. It is thought to have originated in the South or New England and the name penuche evolved from the Mexican word for raw sugar, “panocha” and my 1951 version of the Better Homes and Gardens cookbook even refers to it as this.
About this Recipe
This banana cake recipe was inspired by several recipes in one of my Grandma’s cookbooks that date from the 1940’s or 50’s. I wanted a light and moist banana cake; to achieve the light and moist texture of this cake, creaming the butter and sugar first is key in making the cake light. This cake also contains both baking powder and soda as leaveners which helps the cake achieve that extra “lift” when combined with the acidic sour milk. Sour milk was a common Midwestern farmhouse ingredient in many baked goods and you can easily make your own (see tips below) or substitute buttermilk.
Overripe bananas work best for baked goods, as they mash easier and will incorporate better into the batter. Using under ripe bananas will result in larger pieces of banana in your cake. This cake also easily bakes up in a standard 9″x13″ pan – no special cake pans required!
The penuche frosting recipe dates to the 1940’s and pairs so well with the banana cake. Sugars caramelize with butter, heavy cream and a small amount of corn syrup over heat. The small amount of corn syrup in the frosting prevents the sugar from crystalizing too much, which can cause it to scorch or burn. It also gives the frosting a shiny appearance once it has set. Vanilla is added when the mixture when it is removed from heat and then when it has cooled, it is beaten with powdered sugar and spread on the cake.
Tips for Banana Cake with Penuche Frosting
- To make your own sour milk for this recipe: add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar to the milk. You can also substitute buttermilk.
- Once the frosting comes to a full boil, stir it constantly to prevent it from burning
- If the frosting becomes too thick, you can easily thin it out with a splash of heavy cream
- Don’t like frosting on your banana cake? You can simply omit the frosting for this cake; serve unfrosted or with a dusting of powdered sugar.
- Spread the frosting immediately after beating with the powdered sugar, or it will start to set
- Store frosted cake in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 72 hours
Made this recipe? Comment or rate below or @thetimelessbaker on Instagram or Pinterest!
Banana Cake with Penuche Frosting
Equipment
- standard 9×13" pan
- small saucepan
- mixer
- mixing bowls of various sizes
Ingredients
For the Banana Cake
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup mashed over ripe bananas, about 3 bananas
- 2/3 cup sour milk or buttermilk *see notes below
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
For the Penuche Frosting
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp white syrup, such as Karo
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a standard 9×13" pan.
- Using a mixer, cream the butter and granulated sugar until light, about 2 minutes.
- Add eggs, one at a time.
- Slowly add in mashed bananas.
- Add vanilla to sour milk or buttermilk and stir slightly to combine.
- Sift or whisk together the baking powder, baking soda, salt and flour in a separate bowl.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to the batter in three additions, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Only mix until just combined, do not overmix.
- Pour into greased pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow pan to cool on a wire rack at least 30 minutes before frosting.
For the Frosting
- In small sauce pan, combine all ingredients except for the vanilla and powdered sugar.
- Over medium heat, bring slowly to a full boil, whisking constantly.
- When the mixture reaches a full boil, boil briskly 1 minute, whisking constantly.
- Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
- Allow to sit until cools slightly, about 20 minutes.
- Then, whisk in powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Frost banana cake immediately before frosting sets.
Notes
- To make your own sour milk for this recipe: add 2 teaspoons of white vinegar to milk. You can also substitute buttermilk.
- Once the frosting comes to a full boil, stir it constantly to prevent it from burning
- If the frosting becomes too thick, you can easily thin it out with a splash of heavy cream
- Spread the frosting immediately after beating with the powdered sugar, or it will start to set
- Store frosted cake in an airtight container, refrigerated for up to 72 hours
Made this recipe? Comment or rate below or @thetimelessbaker on Instagram or Pinterest!
What a great idea to include doubling or tripling ingredients! This would be make a good contribution to a workplace potluck.
This is a great recipe to double!