Old Fashioned Banana Cake

Ina Garten’s recipe for banana cake is ridiculously good! The addition of orange rind is what makes it delicious.

Ingredients:

• 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
• 3/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup of light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/2 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• grated zest of 1 orange
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/2 cup of coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
• cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
• walnut halves, for decorating (optional)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 6 ounces of cream cheese at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons of (3/4 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups of sifted confectioners’ sugar (1/2 pound)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 by 2-inch round cake pan. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the bananas, granulated sugar, and brown sugar on low speed until combined.
3. With the mixer still on low, add the oil, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and orange zest. Mix until smooth. 
4. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low, add the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Stir in the chopped walnuts, if using.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake (45 to 50 minutes), until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan (15 minutes), turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
6. Spread the frosting thickly on the top of the cake and decorate with walnut halves, if using.
   
   Cream Cheese Frosting:
   
   1. Mix the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on low speed until just combined. Don’t whip! Add the sugar and mix until smooth.