One of my favorites, the copy cat recipe for Sara Lee’s frozen banana cake that I don’t believe they produce now.

Recipe note: I use yellow to brown bananas for the cake itself, but the frosting tastes better using a banana that is just turning brown rather than all brown or barely ripe .

2 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup buttermilk (I use a teaspoon vinegar and then the rest milk; letting it sit for five minutes before using)
4 ripe to overripe bananas, pureed in food processor (or blender) – this is important for the consistency of the cake!
2 tsp lemon juice

Icing:
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1 banana, pureed
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp vanilla
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 13 pan. Combine flour and baking soda.

Cream butter, then add both sugars. Add eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Alternate adding flour and buttermilk until combined, finishing with the pureed bananas and lemon juice.

Bake for 35-40 minutes, until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before frosting (I let it cool overnight).

For the icing: cream butter before adding the banana and lemon juice. It’s key to break these into two steps so you have a creamier, better mixed icing. Add powdered sugar and mix until the icing is smooth. Spread onto cake.