Banana Cake

This is the best banana cake.  It is moist without being too dense.  I have tried several recipes for banana cake and while they are usually good, they aren't anything to write home about.  The first time I made this cake, my friend Kelsey requested that I use this her family's recipe for this banana cake for her birthday.  It is a Howell family classic, with good reason!  The Howells are great cooks, so it was no surprise that this cake was fantastic! I have made it several times since.  The recipe has been slightly adapted (I can't help myself), but no matter how I make it, where ever I bring it, it is a hit!

Ingredients:
3/4 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups mashed banana
2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 1/2 cups buttermilk

1.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and grease a 9x13 cake pan.

2. With and electric mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.  Add dry ingredients to butter mixture.  Mix until partially combined.  There should still be a few dry streaks.

4.  Add lemon juice while mashing bananas and once mashed, add with butter milk to the batter.  Mix until just combined.

5. Pour batter into cake pan and bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour.  Sounds crazy to bake it at such a low temperature, but it works.  You will know it is done, when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Soften cream cheese and butter.  Beat together until fluffy.  Add vanilla and powdered sugar.  Beat until well combined.  Spread on top of cooled cake.