“Men swarm like bees,” says Frances Barton, “round this party queen — Fiesta Banana Cake!”
Allow two pieces per man when you serve this luscious, moist-rich tropical beauty! It’s just too good to last! But who cares? Your cake baking reputation will be made.
Fiesta Banana Cake recipe (1949 version)
Preparations:
Have the shortening at room temperature. Line bottoms of pans with waxed paper. Use two round 9-inch layer pans, 1-1/2 inches deep. Preheat oven to 375F. Sift flour once before measuring.
Measure into sifter:
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups sugar
Measure into mixing bowl:
1/2 cup butter or vegetable shortening
Measure into cup:
* Sour milk or buttermilk (see below)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Have ready:
1 cup mashed fully-ripe bananas (peel should be yellow flecked with brown)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped nuts
2 eggs, unbeaten
* With butter, margarine, or lard, use 1/2 cup minus 2 tablespoons sour milk or buttermilk. With vegetable or other shortening, use 1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk.
Directions
Stir shortening just to soften. Sift in dry ingredients. Add 1/4 cup milk, the mashed bananas, and mix until all flour is dampened. Then beat 2 minutes, or 300 strokes.
Add eggs, nuts and remaining milk. Beat 1 minute longer or 150 strokes. (Mix cake by hand or at a low speed on electric mixer. Count only actual beating time or strokes. Scrape bowl and spoon or beater often.)
Turn batter into pans. Bake in moderate oven (375F) for 25 minutes or until done. Cool cake in pans on racks for 5 minutes. Then loosen from sides with spatula, turn out, and turn right-side up on racks to cool.
Serving: Whip 1 cup heavy cream. Peel and cut 3 ripe bananas crosswise into 1/4 inch slices. Fold 1 tablespoon finely-chopped maraschino cherries into one-third of the whipped cream. Spread on bottom layer. Arrange half of banana slices on top. Cover with second layer, spread top with remaining cream. Decorate with remaining banana slices and maraschino cherries just before serving.
>> You might also like these recipes: 2 different retro desserts called Banana Boats (1974)
Fiesta Banana Cake recipe (1958 version)
From the Washington Missourian (Washington, Missouri) – March 27, 1958
A Fiesta Banana Cake will supply the crowning touch to any meal. This simple scrumptious dessert dish recommended by Mrs Leo Krlete is ideal for anyone who likes a moist. flavorful cake topped off with generous portions of whipped cream.
Mrs Kriete, having six lovely children who “love” sweets. bakes quite frequently. “Each one of the children has a ‘special’ dish that he likes best, but I can satisfy all of them with my Fiesta Banana Cake,” comments Mrs. Kriete, lauding her banana cake recipe to the skies.
Preparations: Have shortening at room temperature. Line bottoms of pans with wax paper. Use two 9-inch layer pans, 1-1/2 inches deep. Start oven 375F. Sift flour once before measuring.
Ingredients
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter or margarine
scant 1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed fully ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped nuts,
2 eggs unbeaten
Directions
Stir shortening just to soften. Sift all dry ingredients together. Add dry ingredients. 1/4 cup of the milk. and the bananas to the shortening and mix until all flour is dampened. Beat 2 minutes. Add eggs, nuts, and the remaining milk with vanilla. Beat 1 minute longer. Bake at 375F for 25 minutes.
Cover with whipped cream and sliced bananas.
Fiesta Banana Cake recipe (1967 version)
From The Times (Shreveport, Louisiana) – February 23, 1967
Whether you are having a family dinner or an evening get-together, a celebration cake will make a most memorable event.
Since it’s an important cake, you’ll want to use cake flour. Bring out the best china, shine up the silverware, splurge a bit on fresh flowers. Cut generous slices of the Fiesta Banana Cake. a moist, flavorful cake filled and frosted with whipped topping.
Ingredients
2 cups sifted cake flour
1 teaspoon double-acting baking powder
1 teaspoon soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup shortening, at room temperature
1/2 cup sour milk or buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup mashed ripe bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup coarsely chopped nuts
1 envelope whipped topping mix
1 banana, sliced
Chopped maraschino cherries
Directions
Sift flour with baking powder, soda, salt, and sugar.
Stir shortening just to soften. Sift in flour mixture. Add 1/4 cup of the milk, vanilla, and the mashed bananas and mix until all flour is dampened. Then beat 2 minutes at medium speed of electric mixer or 300 vigorous strokes by hand. Add eggs, nuts, and remaining milk. Beat 1 minute longer in mixer or 150 strokes by hand.
Pour batter into two 8- or 9-inch layer pans, which have been lined on bottoms with paper. Bake at 350 degrees from 25 to 30 minutes for 9-inch layers, and 35 to 40 minutes for 8-inch layers. Cool 10 minutes in pans; then remove from pans and cool on racks.
Prepare whipped topping mix as directed on package; spread between layers and over top of cake. Garnish with banana slices and chopped cherries.
Note: This cake may also be baked in a 13×9-inch pan at 375 degrees for 30 minutes.
Fiesta Banana Cake (1977 version)
From the Linton Daily Citizen (Linton, Indiana) – November 18, 1977
Ingredients
1/2 cup shortening or margarine
1-1/3 cups white sugar
2 eggs
2 cups sifted flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees grease and flour bottom of two round cake pans. Cream together margarine and sugar. Add eggs beat well. Blend in bananas. Sift flour, baking powder, soda and salt together.
To combine ingredients: Add 1/4 of the dry ingredients, then one third of the wet ingredients, repeating until ending with the last 1/4 of the flour mixture. Stir in nuts. Pour into prepared pans. Bake 35-40 minutes. Frost with a caramel icing.
