Go Bananas!

As a child my favorite part of the banana was peeling off the chiquita banana sticker and putting it in the middle of my forehead and doing the chiquita banana dance across the kitchen floor in my sock feet.  Today, I appreciate its nutritional value and enjoy them in my cereal, yogurt, smoothies and breads.  Oh, and every now and again I will cut loose across the kitchen floor for ole times sake.

Double-Banana Pound Cake

Ingredients

Cooking spray

3 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground mace
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1/2 cup fat-free milk
1/2 cup banana liqueur
3/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon powdered sugar


Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

Coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with breadcrumbs.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and mace in a bowl, and stir well with a whisk. Combine the mashed banana, milk, and banana liqueur in a bowl. Beat the butter in a large bowl at medium speed of a mixer until light and fluffy. Gradually add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract, and beat the mixture until well-blended. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture to the sugar mixture alternately with the banana mixture, beating at low speed, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.

Spoon the batter into prepared pan. Bake cake at 350° for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Sift powdered sugar over top of cake.

Note: To freeze extra pound cake, let cake cool completely on a wire rack; then cut into individual slices. Place unglazed slices in a heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag. Remove excess air from the bag; then seal and place it in your freezer for up to four months. To thaw, let it stand at room temperature. Drizzle glaze per recipe's directions.

Note: You can use a 12 cup Bundt pan instead of the 10-inch tube pan. Just reduce the oven temperature to 325º.

Enjoy,

Sharon

Participating in Foodie Friday