Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, as seen in the New York Times

16 servings

Time: About 1 hour

Banana Cake

Solid vegetable shortening
Flour
1 package (18 1/4 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 ripe medium-size bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons créme de banane liqueur, optional

Banana Cream Cheese Frosting Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 1/2 cups.

4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) butter, at room temperature
1 3/8 cups confectioners' sugar
3 to 4 drops LorAnn banana creme flavor, or 1/2 teaspoon imitation banana flavor

Banana Cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 13-by-9-inch baking pan with shortening, and dust with flour. Shake out excess flour.
Place cake mix, brown sugar and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add mashed bananas, 1 cup water, oil, eggs and, if desired, liqueur. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed 1 minute. Stop mixer and scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed until well blended, scraping side again if needed. Pour into prepared pan, and place on center rack of oven.
Bake until top is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Remove from oven, and cool on a wire rack.

Banana Cream Cheese Frosting

Place cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Add confectioners' sugar a bit at a time, and blend on low speed until well incorporated, 1 minute. Add flavoring, and blend at medium speed until fluffy, 1 minute more.
Use at once to frost top of cake.

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