Cake
This banana cake is great to layer and stack with my Ultimate Chocolate Cake and Italian Meringue Buttercream. Make sure to alternate your banana and chocolate cake layers for that gorgeous slice!
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line the bottom of each cake pan with parchment paper.
Sift your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and set aside.
In another bowl, use a fork to mash the bananas and stir in the buttermilk. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla at medium high speed until light and fluffy (about 5-8 minutes).
On low speed, add the eggs, two at a time, beating until each addition is incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula when necessary.
Still on low speed, add the flour mixture in four parts, alternating with the banana buttermilk mixture in three parts, beating just until each addition is incorporated before adding the next; do not overmix.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan or pans and spread it so that it is smooth in the pan(s). Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes for the 9 x 13-inch pan or minutes for 55 minutes for the 8-inch pans, rotating the pan(s) halfway through.
Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely in the pan(s). Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Loosen the edges with a straight spatula, invert the pan(s) to remove the cake, and peel off the parchment.