Banana Cake A Cure for the Boos...

The writers have another busy month in November. Which means I'll probably be required to post a few extra times. Today is Halloween. We don't get many trick or treaters anymore. All those Trunk or Treat and the malls are all the rage now. Some of those costumes are scary! Have you seen some of them? And people buy them for little kids. Sweet mercy. I can't imagine the sugar overload and the terror filled nightmares. 

I would share my famous candy bar cookies today. But that would be too predictable for Halloween. 

I will share this recipe though. 

Also a hint. Did you know that if you peel old bananas and toss them into a plastic bag in your freezer you have a much easier time of getting the banana where you want it to go rather than all over you. I'm shocked at how many home chefs just shove whole bananas in the freezer. Ugh. Then you have the slime, the black and greasy peel and the strings. Oh, that's almost enough to give me a nightmare! Trust me. Peel the banana first and toss it into a gallon sized banana bag. You'll thank me. You know you will! 

Banana Cake  (Slightly healthified by Fern but with non-hippie options still available for those of you who wouldn't know flax from a flea.)

Makes one sheet cake.  Heat your oven to 350.  Grease and flour a jelly roll pan.

Cake

¾ Cup coconut oil (You may use butter if y’all think that’s better. I will say Fern's suggestion of coconut oil did add a different and tasty spin on this cake. Trust me she tells everyone that she converted me. Yeah, whatever, Fern, whatever.)

3 Cups whole wheat pastry flour (whole wheat flour that is decimated into a much finer flour. Whole wheat traditional would give you much denser result. All purpose would work as well. Or give old fashioned oats whirled into flour a try. Fern fix. She just has to meddle in everything, I swear.)

1 Cup water

½ Cup milk (¼ cup if using eggs instead of ground flaxseed)

2 TBSP ground flax seed (or 2 eggs and decrease milk amount as noted above)

2 Cups sugar

1 teaspoon slightly mounded baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

1 ½ Cup or 4 ripe mashed bananas

Pinch of salt

Optional but highly recommended!!!:

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1-2 Cups chopped pecans or walnuts

Place the water, coconut oil (or butter) and milk into a saucepan. Bring to boil then remove from heat.

Place every other ingredient into a large mixing bowl where you have smashed the bananas. Pour the hot liquid over the other ingredients and mix very well.

Pour and spread into the prepared pan. Test the cake at 20 minutes. A toothpick or knife should come out clean or with wet crumbs.

Frosting

½ package cream cheese (4 ounces)

4 Cups powdered sugar

dash of vanilla

1-2 TBSP milk, added 1 TBSP at a time.

Mix it to the consistency you want. I made mine pretty thick.

Spread over the cooled cake. Serves at least 20 people.

I hope you survive Halloween. Watch out for clowns. Fern and I are staying in tonight for sure. I'm still healing and just can't abide by a scare. Mabel said she she saw a clown in the wooded area by the parking lot. Sweet mercy. I'm hoping it was Ralph who actually is a clown and that he'd just come from a birthday party. Ralph is a little strange though. Oh goodness. I've gotta go, I need to lock my doors!