¼ cup sugar
½ cup shortening
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
2 ½ cups flour
2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
½ cup buttermilk
1 ½ cup banana, mashed
Cream sugar and shortening, add vanilla and eggs. Mix together flour, baking powder, soda, salt and add to creamed mixture. Blend on medium speed with electric mixer. Slowly add buttermilk and mix. Stir in bananas by hand. Spray or oil two round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees. Mom didn’t say how long, but probably check cake at 25 minutes. Frost with boiled frosting and slice bananas between the layers and on top.
Boiled Frosting
2 cups sugar
¾ cup water
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
Dash salt
2 egg whites 1 teaspoon
Cook first 4 ingredients over low heat, stirring til sugar has dissolved. Cover pan and cook 2-3 minutes to dissovlve sugar crystals on the sides of pan. Uncover, cook to soft boil stage, 240 degrees. Gradually add hot syrup to egg whites, beating constantly with electric mixer, add vanilla, beat until spreading consistency, about 6 minutes. If too thin, let stand 3 minutes to set up slightly; stir once or twice. Frosts two 8” or 9” layers. This is very fluffy and not as sweet as butter cream frosting.
Note: Mom made this cake often. I got the recipe from her in the 70’s, went home, and made it. It didn’t rise one bit so I called her and after checking, she had left out the baking powder so we had a good laugh.