Best Ever Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is the first recipe I was able to use my new Kitchenaid mixer for and I could not have been more thrilled! It was a great recipe - absolutely delicious :] Recipe Courtesy Food.com member Rhonda *J*









1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
2 tsp. lemon juice
3 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups icing sugar (powdered sugar)
Garnish:

Walnuts, chopped (I omitted so my son could eat it)


Directions:





Preheat oven to 275. Grease and flour a 9x13-inch pan. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with lemon juice (helps to slow oxidation); set aside.




In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.




In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.




Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp. vanilla.




Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.






Stir in banana mixture.




Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.




Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.




For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Beat in 1 tsp. vanilla.




Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.






Spread on cooled cake.




Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of frosting, if desired. :]