Harlo’s Banana Cake

This tasty cake is easy to make up quickly and will impress everyone with the delicious peanut butter icing. It became a family favourite when my daughter brought home the recipe, having had a piece at her friend Harlo’s house after school.

Harlo, if you are out there sailing somewhere, just know we haven’t forgotten about you or your cake!

Cake recipe

• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• 2 beaten eggs
• ½ cup milk
• 2 cups white flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup sugar (can be half brown sugar)
• 2 large bananas or 3 smaller, mashed
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• pinch of salt
• ½ cup walnut pieces

Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, then add the eggs and beat thoroughly until well combined and not lumpy. Add in mashed bananas and vanilla, combine well.

In the same now-empty bowl in which you mashed the bananas, mix the dry ingredients together, then add to the wet mixture, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour into a prepared 9×13-inch pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until it tests done with a toothpick. It will cook quickly, so keep an eye on it if your oven tends to be “hot”. (I can’t fit a 9×13 pan in my boat oven, so I use a 9×9 pan and cook it a wee bit longer.)

I have not tried it, but adding chocolate chips to the cake might just elevate it a notch!

Peanut Butter Icing Recipe

• 1 heaping tbsp peanut butter
• 2-3 tbsp boiling water
• 2 cups icing sugar – approximately

Pour boiling water over the peanut butter in a bowl. Start with 2 tablespoons of water.

Mix in the icing sugar till well mixed with a good spreading consistency. Add more water or sugar as needed. Add a bit more peanut butter if desired.

It’s hard to wait, but be sure the cake is well cooled before icing.

Enjoy!