There is nothing better than fresh banana bread out of the oven! Except maybe adding cinnamon-rum cream cheese frosting. Now we’re talkin’. Week 14: Banana Cinnamon Tower Cake.

 

I’m one of those weirdos who really loves banana ice cream and will chose banana muffins over any other flavor. When I saw this recipe, I knew it had to be good. Plus, tall cakes are always fun to attempt, even when the cake is so moist it wants to crumble when sliced. Worth it.

 

It would have been easier to assemble if the crumb was less pronounced (smaller air bubbles = denser cake = holds it’s shape better.) It’s a mystery to me sometimes how different a cake can turn out from the way it’s described. There are so many factors that can change the texture of the bake, such as the way the flour is packed/measured, how long the batter is beaten, etc. And I have to go buy round cake pans for myself now because I came to the unfortunate realization last night that I only have square ones! Hence, the strange cornered cake. Excited for the new pans to show up so I can make a lovely round version of this cake!

 

 

Squishing over-ripe bananas is strangely therapeutic. They’re so ooshy! You can use the back of a fork, of course, if you don’t want to use your hands. To each their own.

 

 

This was a yellow-fruit-only bake. On that note, I should try throwing some pineapple in next time! Yum. I’d have to take out some of the banana to offset the moisture of the pineapple, but it sounds like a fun tropical experiment! I threw some rum into the frosting so I’m on a tropical bent already.

 

 

Action shot of me flouring one of my 9″ x 13″ pans (but use round pans! You will be happier with the final look of the cake. Do as I say not as a I do?) Some day, I will be as cool as Weezie Mott (best cooking teacher in the world) and I will freeze my butter papers to keep for just this purpose, and I won’t have to use spray oil.

 

 

I attempted to crack the eggs with one hand. It’s kind of fun! A little more difficult with a camera in one hand and the egg in the other. Verdict: not any more effective then breaking them on the counter or side of a bowl, but perfect if you’re trying to prove how much of an egg boss you are.

 

 

Fun fact: it called for exactly 4 oz of applesauce and guess how much is in each of these little guys? You get 3 guesses, and 2 of them don’t count. Go.

 

 

Folding happy islands of smashed banana into the batter. Whenever I see “folding” on a recipe instead of beating or stirring, I jump to the conclusion that it needs to be light and fluffy. This one might have just been fun semantics – it’s such a dense batter that I don’t think stirring in a cup of banana would make much of a difference in the texture.

 

 

 

I love how shiny they are on top! Now, on to the frosting.

 

 

The rum was my own addition, and it didn’t add too much flavor – just a hint of it!

 

I seem to go through powdered sugar like water. One recipe for a cream cheese frosting, and POOF your full bag of powdered sugar is gone. And a nice sugar dusting settles on everything in the kitchen.

 

 

While this cake resembles a slice of a muddy hillside instead of a graceful baked good, it tastes lovely! Presentation is definitely an area for improvement for me. Nothing a few stencils, patience and edible flowers can’t fix.

 

P.S. I had some for breakfast *shhhh* don’t judge.

Happy munching!

 

Recipe from: http://www.thenovicechefblog.com/2016/04/banana-dream-cake/