Sour Cream Maple Banana Cake

Sour Cream Maple Banana Cake (0012) by Meeta K. Wolff

So what’s with bananas? I mean, is it on anyone’s list of favorite fruit? I’ve often wondered about this every time I walk past them stacked up in all their yellow glory in the supermarkets. They seem to sit there, waiting eagerly for shoppers to stop and pick up a bunch. On rare occasions do I see people actually picking them up and placing them in their carts. 

While I like bananas, I just do not feel the mad affection for them like I do for mangoes or apricots. Bananas are just plain bananas to me. I have never felt a crazy craving for them and like the other shoppers at the supermarket, on rare occasions will I actually place them in my shopping cart.

Bananas seem to be socially unattractive. Compare them to ruby red cherries, or shiny, crunchy apples or the immaculately and neatly grouped grapes; one can immediately see what issues arise with the seemingly benign banana on say ... a first date.

Let’s take the obvious first – the shape of the banana is rather odd and allow fantasy its full run, it resembles other odd shaped objects ... like the receiver of a 1980s telephone.

And which end is easier to peel? It is said the bottom end of the banana is easier to peel but can you imagine groping your banana on your first date, not really sure which end to peel it? Should you finally get around to peeling the banana what happens if there is that awful brown mushy spot on the flesh? Do you ignore it and gorge the banana down offending brown spot and all?

What about those nasty, furry strings? How do you elegantly get rid of those? There is nothing sexy about those kinds of strings!

Sour Cream Maple Banana Cake (0014) by Meeta K. Wolff

If the first date happens to be a picnic, never EVER, pack a banana with the rest of the food. The odor of a banana penetrates every type of food around them. Quiche Lorraine will be infected with the unique mushy smell of the banana, pâté will reek of musty bananas, turkey sandwiches will become banana-turkey and I cannot even imagine the hideousness of tuna-banana! After a tainted first date like that – game over! It might take a herculean act to get to the next level of a second date.

Bananas belong in the privacy of our kitchens, where no one sees us fumbling with the peel, removing the unattractive stings with our fingers and biting into the sweet creamy flesh. While the energy booster might not be the perfect food for a first date, bananas are simply divine in muffins, cakes, breads and desserts. So, instead of packing a banana for your next picnic how about indulging in this sour cream maple banana cake?

Recipe: Sour Cream Maple Banana Cake

Printable version of recipe here

 Sour Cream Maple Banana Cake by Meeta K. Wolff

Prep Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
Serves: approx. 8

Ingredients:

  • 100g butter + extra for form, softened
  • 10 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 4 ripe bananas
  • 200g muscovado sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 vanilla pods, seeds scrapped
  • 200g all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • 100g almonds, ground
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 200g sour cream

Method:

  1. Pre-heat oven to 160 degrees C and butter a square (20cm x 20cm) form and line the base with baking paper.

  2. Pour 5 tablespoons maple syrup and swirl the form to coat the bottom. Cut 3 bananas in half lengthways and lay them, cut-side down, in the form.

  3. In a mixing bowl beat together the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla seeds, and the last banana with an electric whisk. Fold in the flour, baking powder, ground almonds and bicarbonate soda with a spatula, then stir in the sour cream.

  4. Carefully spoon into the form without displacing the bananas. Bake for approx. 45 – 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

  5. Take cake out and poke the top all over with a skewer, about halfway into the cake. Pour the remaining maple syrup over the top and allow to soak for a few minutes.

  6. Carefully turn out of the form upside-down, drizzling the banana-studded top with more syrup. Slice cake and serve warm.
   The Food Guide Tip:
Did you know there are hundreds of edible varieties of bananas? You’ll find everything you need to know about bananas, including how to select and store them in my Food Guide.







Verdict

Sour Cream Maple Banana Cake (0020) by Meeta K. Wolff

The banana flavors are just perfect together with the tangy sour cream and sweet syrup. Here, those unique, ripe flavors from the bananas feel right at home, making this cake beautifully moist and luscious. It's perfect for any date be it the first romantic picnic, a play date or a coffee date with your girlfriends.

Have you got questions concerning the Plate to Page workshops? We answer them on our new FAQ page, which went live last week. We have a few free slots on our Plate to Page workshop. So if you are looking to hone your writing and photography skills come join us, registrations are open for Plate to Page Somerset due to be held in the UK in Spring 2012!  Have a look at the programme, details about  accommodation, and then can register here. Places are limited to 12. It would be great to see you there!

Hope you all have a great week and weekend ahead. See you next week!

You might like these fruity treats from WFLH:

Banana Brioche Pudding with Baileys Caramel Cream Chocolate Banana Breads with Pistachios, Pink Praline and Au Naturel Ginger Mango Bread


All photographs and written content on What's For Lunch, Honey? © 2006-2011 Meeta Khurana Wolff unless otherwise indicated. | All rights reserved | Please Ask First

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43 comments:

  1. They look gorgeous! Love the way they are styled too! Love bananas but unfortunately am allergic to them.

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  2. I'm no banana person myself, but I love banana cakes. Your slices look absolutely heavenly, feel like getting one off the screen-YUM!

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  3. I've said it before and i'll say it again - bananas ate Pure Evil! Socially difficult, smelly, smooshy textured, turning ovwrripe and black as soon sa you turn their back on them for a minute! In fact the only good banana is a dead banana.... It one baked into a cake like your delectable creation! (seriously, despite my well-documented banana horror, I've always loved banana bread, cake & muffins - go figure!) live the addition of maple syrup! What time cam I come over for tea?

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  4. Apologies for spelling errors in the above. Damn you HTC autocorrect!!

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  5. I love banana in desserts which is mostly cakes and bread! What a lovely flavor combination. MUST try this.

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  6. Lovely flavours in the cake. I love my bananas. In fact people in Australia have a weakness for it. You'll find them crowding around the banana section at the supermarket, stuffing a bunch in their trolleys, lol. But it is no mango, I'll give you that.

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  7. "I mean, is it on anyone’s list of favorite fruit?" Of course,it is on mine!:D I absolutely love bananas,as much as I love mangoes!Not talking about fruits,I love maple syrup a lot as well.I usually pour a generous quantity over my pancakes.
    Your recipe brings together my two favorite things;Thank you!:-)
    I am noting down/bookmarking this.

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  8. I've never seen a banana upside down cake. This is a beautiful and delicious way to present bananas.

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  9. A fabulous combination and cake! Absolutely irresistible and perfect with a cup of tea. i love your moody pictures.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

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  10. I have some over-ripe bananas and I was trying to figure out how to use them, so thanks! The cake looks delicious!

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  11. the cake is baking in the oven , the batter alone was delicious, tqs for the recipe:p

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  12. :D :D loved your description of the predicaments faced by people offered bananas on a first date.....was hilarious.....

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  13. LOL... first date banana slip eh?! ;))

    and i agree.. i love bananas but i think they are even better ripened and baked ! love the styling on the photos Meeta

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  14. Wat a prefectly baked cake, looks absolutely stunning and incredible..

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  15. Meeta .. Adore your writing and have always done but this post made me LOL. I never eat banana in publlic although it's my second fav fruit.
    This cake look so yum .. can't wait to give it a try!

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  16. i love bananas, yet to try a baked version. they are my favorite topping for oats/cereal. it is a common choice in india, but my crazy love for mango exceeds that of bananas :D the cake looks delicious

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  17. I'm a sucker for banana bread anyway... But this is something incredibly special. Lovely darling!

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  18. I love banana cakes ... and this one with maple syrup seems really, really good !! thank you for the pictures and the recipe !

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  19. I love bananas and my little one has just started with eating baked stuffs. He is 14 month now and I am bookmarking this recipe for him. He seems to enjoy more of our foods than the ones made for him.

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  20. I have never really been a big fan of bananas but I love baking with them. These days I am addicted to my peanut butter and banana muffins :)

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  21. The Verdict? Fabulous! I love bananas and this is a delightful treat.

    Gorgeous styling and images too, drooling ..... sigh ... such talents.

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  22. Oh wow Meeta, this looks absolutely divine! It's funny you say you don't know of anyone who has bananas on their list of favourite fruits, however my fiance is one of those people. Like you I find bananas a bit plain and only ever eat them when they are baked in something, and your cake would be one of those delicious banana treats I would love.

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  23. i am well in with the bananas are evil camp. Cant stand the little buggers.. even your delicious looking cake wont tempt me... (well I might try just a little bit...)

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  24. Hi there and greetings from Australia. Due to cyclones up north, we had no bananas for quite some time and then when they did appear, they were over $10 per kilo! That's when you realise how nice this relatively ordinary fruit is.

    Love your blog, pop in and visit sometime!

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  25. I looks divine!!! This it's one "must-have" for this season.. :))
    beutiful!!

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  26. This looks delicious, Meeta! I'm a big lover of banana in oatmeal or smoothies, but not "plain". This seems like a perfect recipe for me. Funny: ever since P2P I think about Jeanne when I read about bananas (after she described how much she hated them)!

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  27. I will never be able to look at a banana the same way again, too funny! This cake however is divine and so unique :)

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  28. Seriously Meeta that has to be the best intro for a blog post! You've done wonders with this fruit here and perfectly married into a cake with sour cream! Mmmm!

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  29. Ah, Meeta! You should come to Australia where every second person has bananas in their shopping trolley! It's not really thought about how unusual they are to eat, most people I know peel the skin down from the stem part, remove the stringy bits if they're folling off and then break off half the banana and eat it, rather than eating it like you're holding an ice cream cone! Yes, there are alot of dodgy jokes made about the good ol' banana here in Oz, but we eat them alot as they keep relatively well, are a great form of potassium and also, if they spoil then- viola! - perfect for banana cake. Up in Carnarvon in Western Australia (where a heck of a lot of banana's are grown) you can buy them coated in chocolate and frozen on a stick - perfect for the cool weather.

    Either way I'll take my banana fresh or mushed up in a moist banana loaf, perfect if lightly toasted with a big dob of butter. Your recipe is book marked for the black banana's I've got in my fridge ready to be baked.

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  30. Lol.. You have me laughing out loud there Meeta..;) Yes bananas are certainly not entirely sexy but I love them! Maybe indeed not perfect for every occassion but they are just great in baking!

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  31. Bananas are plentiful over here! And so many different kinds too :) So we are bound to have them around the house at one point or another. But I think I let them go overripe on purpose just so I can make cake! This one looks like a winner!

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  32. haha funny lol.
    anyway nice photos simply the best hehe.. good i want to eat it all haha
    thanks for sharing.

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  33. Hy Meeta,
    I prepare this cake!!
    Gorgeous flavour and delicate too... my son like very much with milk,...:))
    I have some images to prove. :)
    Again, many thank's for sharing!!
    Sorina

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  34. oh this banana cake i made it last weekend with my mom and it was so good. well i need to try this again for another mouthwatering cakes :x

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  35. Looks amazing! Can't wait to try this recipe. Maple syrup and banana's yum!

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  36. This cake looks amazing. I'll definitely have to try the recipe out some time! Sour cream always makes for a moist, spongy banana bread, so I'm sure it works just as well in this cake.

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  37. I don't think that there is an ingredient in this cake that I don't just adore. Love it! And gorgeous as always. Yum!

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  38. HA! The banana's reputation is not as bad as I thought. Glad you liked the post and the recipe. Thank you all for your comments.

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  39. hey, it looks sooo great!! have to try it soon =)

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  40. banana cake with maple syrup? that's an interesting pair. i honestly had never tried them together before. i'm gonna try your recipe, i know it'll taste good. :)

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Thank you for visiting What's For Lunch, Honey? and taking time to browse through my recipes, listen to my ramblings and enjoy my photographs. I appreciate all your comments, feedback and input. I will answer your questions to my best knowledge and respond to your comments as soon as possible.

In the meantime I hope you enjoy your stay here and that I was able to make this an experience for your senses.

Hugs
Meeta