Vintage Recipe: Honey Banana Cake

Sep 30

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My grandmother didn’t have much of a sweet tooth, but she loved to make banana cake. Quite often when we went to visit she would have a pan of banana cake, slathered in maple frosting, waiting in the kitchen.

Then I discovered this handwritten recipe for banana cake among my great-grandmother’s recipes. It seems a love of banana cake just might have been multi-generational!

Although the original cake would have been made with white flour and brown sugar, my version uses spelt and honey, but could easily be substituted with whole wheat flour.

Banana Tip: Ever have bananas turning overripe before you can get to them? Simple peel and freeze until you’re ready to bake!

Vintage Honey Banana Cake Recipe

½ cup butter, softened
¾ cup honey (or maple syrup)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups spelt flour (or whole wheat)
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2 tsp arrowroot flour (or cornstarch) (this organic non-GMO cornstarch is half the price we’ve found anywhere else)
½ tsp salt

Beat together the butter and honey until smooth. Beat in eggs. Stir in lemon juice, bananas, and vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, stirring until combined.

Pour into greased pan and cook at 350 degrees for 40 – 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool.

Peanut Butter Frosting

Although there is no frosting mentioned on the original recipe, I like to add a little something to my cake, in memory of my grandmother. Rather than use her maple-flavoured buttercream, I whip up this simple peanut butter frosting.

⅓ cup softened butter
⅓ cup natural peanut butter
1 Tbsp honey
pinch of salt

Beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Add in honey and salt. Spread over cake.