Recipe: Grandma Dorner's Banana Cake

by Elizabeth Sullivan May 10, 2017 1 Comment

Today would have been our Grandma Dorner's 90th birthday. To celebrate the occasion and to remember her, I spent the afternoon baking this cake with my son. Although Grandma made Diós (walnut) Torte for most Dorner birthdays when I was a kid, this banana cake is one of her recipes that sticks out most in my memories of spending time at my grandparents' house, because it was more of an everyday cake that she would often have on hand when we went over for a visit. I hope that you enjoy it too. Happy birthday Grandma!

Banana Cake

• 2 cups sifted flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup soft shortening (or butter)
• 1/2 cup sour milk (add 1/2 tbsp vinegar to 1/2 cup milk if you don't have sour milk)
• 1 cup mashed bananas
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl.
3. Add soft shortening, ¼ cup of the milk, and bananas. Mix until flour is dampened.
4. Beat 300 strokes by hand or 2 minutes with an electric mixer.
5. Add eggs, ¼ cup milk, and vanilla and beat 150 strokes, or 1 minute with the electric mixer.
6. Spread evenly in 8x10 inch pan, greased on the bottom only. Bake for 35-40 minutes. While cake is baking, make crunchy topping.

Crunchy Topping

• 1/4 cup soft butter
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp evaporated or whole milk (I just used 2% milk)
• 1/2 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
• 1/4 cup chopped nuts (I usually use walnuts)

Directions:

1. Cream the butter and brown sugar together. Add the milk and beat until smooth.
2. Mix in the coconut and nuts and spread the mixture on top of the baked cake.
3. Place 6 inches below broiler and broil until the sugar is bubbly and it is delicately brown. Cool before serving.

Makes one 8" x 10" cake.

Note: I only had an 8"x8" pan so baked the cake a little bit longer (45-50 minutes).

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