Banana Cake Recipe

Since we moved to New Hampshire, and I have more time at home, I also have more time to cook!  My family seems to be enjoying a wider variety of meals -- we were in a real rut when I was working 35 hours a week and getting home close to 6:00pm Monday through Thursday.  I have found that I enjoy cooking now that I have more time and I'm not feeling rushed to make dinner for my family.  For the first time in years, I have had time to actually make some of the thousands of recipes that I have pinned on Pinterest!  I also have been airing out my poor, neglected recipe box.  I bought myself a little white board that fits perfectly into one of my kitchen cupboards and I have taken to making actual meal plans -- actually going through recipes, deciding what I am going to make for the week, and then shopping once a week and picking everything up for my recipes.  It's quite amazing!  ;)

One of the recipes I found while going through my recipe box is actually an email I sent to two friends and former coworkers -- in 2009!!!  Here's what I typed in the reference line -- "Totally making this -- thought I'd share!"  Yeah, that I was in 2009 -- totally did not make this, until 2014!!  It's super easy and a nice alternative to use those overripe bananas sitting in my fruit bowl, as opposed to the banana bread I seem to make ALL the time!  (Thankfully my girls love it, but still, variety is the spice of life they say!)

Banana Cake
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1 yellow cake mix
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1 cup water
2 ripe bananas

1 can of vanilla frosting (and 1 more banana -- optional)

Mix cake mix and the rest of the ingredients (except for the frosting and optional extra banana) in a large bowl with mixer.

Pour into a cake pan (I used a 9" x 13" Pyrex dish) that you have buttered or sprayed with cooking spray.  Bake for 45-50 mins or test with a toothpick.   Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 - 15 minutes and then frost. 

I just used plain vanilla frosting which was quite yummy, but the recipe called for microwaving a (plastic) can of vanilla frosting until it is slightly melted and then mashing the 3rd banana in a bowl and combining that with the melted frosting.  Then you can pour the banana/frosting mixture over the cake and let it run down the sides of the cake.  That sounds delicious, but I took the easy route. 

Regardless, my family loved it!