We’ve been keeping an eye on our spending the past few months, so weekends for us have been kinda quiet.  To make Saturday evening a little more special I employed Evie and Mack in the kitchen to help me bake a special dessert.  With a bunch of brown bananas sitting on the counter top, I knew that a banana cake would be an easy way to put the produce to good use while giving the kids and I something fun to do.

I first tried banana cake several years ago during an office potluck.  My co-worker Doris brought pan of the perfectly sweet and indulgent cake, and I was immediately smitten.  Its lighter and not as dense as traditional banana bread, and the cream cheese frosting makes me smile.  Doris was so kind to share her recipe with me.

I tinkered with Doris’ recipe to lighten it up (a little) and make it (a little) less naughty. I’ve found that adding a few scoops of ground flax seed to most baked recipes is an easy way to feel (a little) less guilty when indulging in a favorite sweet treat.  Flax seeds are loaded with healthy omega-3 fats (which help control inflammation) and fiber.

The kids loved the cake – the perfect way to wind down yet another wild and crazy Saturday night in our house!

Homemade Banana Cake

3 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg + 1 egg white

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (I use my homemade vanilla extract)

1 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

dash salt

3 tablespoons ground flax seed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cream butter and sugar. Add in eggs, vanilla and bananas.  Mix dry ingredients together, and add to banana mixture.

Pour batter into a greased 9″ square cake pan. Bake for 20-25 minutes until top is light brown. Be careful not to overbake!!

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

2-3 cups powdered sugar

Cream butter and cream cheese until it is smooth and lump-free.  Add vanilla and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.  Beat well, and continue to add in powdered sugar until desired consistency and sweetness is achieved.  Spread on cake slices and serve!