Banana Bread Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

INGREDIENTS:

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup sour cream (full-fat is best)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup mashed bananas (about 3 bananas)

Cream Cheese Frosting:

• ½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
• 1 bar (8 oz) cream cheese (full-fat is best)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Heat the oven to 350°. Prepare a 9×13 baking dish and spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. The mixture may initially look crumbled, but beat it for a couple of minutes until it becomes fluffy.
3. Add eggs, sour cream, and vanilla. Blend together until combined and creamy.
4. Add flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend on low speed just until combined.
5. Add mashed banana and gently stir together. Dump the batter into the baking dish and spread it out evenly.
6. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with moist crumbs or nothing at all. If a toothpick comes out with wet batter, cook slightly longer. The edges and top will be lightly browned.
7. Let the cake cool completely before frosting.
8. Once the cake is cooled, you can either frost it right away and serve OR cover it tightly with tin foil and let it sit at room temperature overnight, then frost it before serving.

To Make Cream Cheese Frosting:

1. In a large bowl, beat butter and cream cheese together until combined.
2. Add vanilla extract, powdered sugar, and heavy cream. Beat together, starting on low speed and increasing as needed, until the frosting forms.
3. Add more powdered sugar and/or milk until the desired frosting consistency is reached. You want the frosting to be thick.
   • Note: If you use anything other than heavy whipping cream, start with 1 tablespoon and adjust as needed. Heavy cream is thick, so you may need less of lower-fat milks.
4. Cut into squares and garnish each piece with banana slices and chopped walnuts.