When I was in 7th or 8th Grade, I took a Home Economics class, where my first love of baking started. I can't even remember what we baked, just that I really enjoyed myself. Again, when I was in High School, I took another foods class and got more into baking. On weekends, my cousin Kim and I would get together and attempted to make up dances, be silly, and you guessed it, bake! I don't think there was one time, ever, that we actually got the recipe totally correct. There was always something we missed, or accidentally put in something else in instead. Despite our imperfections, it ALWAYS turned out great. Well, except that one time. :) Today, I am attempting to recreate Brandon's and I's wedding cake. This cake is so popular amongst Portlander's, that a food engineer was able to replicate the cake and published a recipe for all to enjoy. It was from Kienow's market, the now out-of-business Bohemian Bakery. Brandon got this recipe printed from a friend at work, but I found it online because I wanted to know for sure where it came from. Click on the title and it will take you to Oregon Live, and you can read about and see the recipe for yourselves. The pictures are actually from my camera this time. We'll survive. Well, I've got the music playing, Kaleb helping, and my "Friday Brain" in the kitchen. So, guess what? I have forgotten to put in the salt, and both the pure vanilla extract and the imitation vanilla extract. This would happen. Since I had already spent some time in the kitchen putting the cake mix together, there's no way I wanted to start that over again. I went and bought some cake strips (Wilton brand from Michaels, called Bake Even Strips), and when I pulled the cake out of the oven I had a cake that was evenly baked! Wow! No dome in the center of the cake, I love it. The cake was a success, and I'm sure it will be our new tradition to make for our Anniversary yearly, how exciting is that?!! I wish y'all could come over and have a slice, you've GOT to try this cake!
Banana cake still a cut above the rest 12/04/01BARBARA DURBIN Q: Over a year ago FOODday printed the recipe for the banana cake made by the out-of-business Bohemian Bakery, the one they used to make for Kienow's Markets. Well, if you could find it, I would love to have it. -- Dan Dorr, Gresham
A: Yes, we ran that recipe in response to the dozens of requests over the years. Our Best Banana Whipped Cream Cake Makes one 4-layer, 9-inch cake. This cake was developed by food engineer Lynda Nestelle and comes close to the original Bohemian Bakery cake. It calls for xanthan gum to give a finer crumb in the cake and to make the filling and frosting more stable, but you can make the cake without it.
We found this cake (like the bakery banana cakes) had even more banana flavor the second day. This cake must be kept refrigerated because of the whipped cream filling and frosting.
Our Best Banana Whipped Cream Cake
Cake:
2 cups sifted cake flour (not all-purpose flour)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (optional; see note)
1/2 cup corn oil (corn oil produces a better texture)
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas (2 large or 3 medium)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon artificial vanilla (see note)
1/3 cup buttermilk
2 egg yolks
Meringue:
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
Whipped cream filling and frosting:
2 cups regular whipping cream if using a stabilizer (otherwise use heavy whipping cream)
1/4 to 1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or all-purpose stabilizer (optional), such as instant Clear Gel (see note) or gelatin formula for frosting (see accompanying recipe),
1 teaspoon vanilla (either kind)
2 medium bananas or 1 large, sliced thin
Cake crumbs for decoration (optional; see note)
1 maraschino cherry with stem, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans.
To make cake: In a large bowl, sift together sifted cake flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and xanthan gum, if using.
Add corn oil, mashed bananas and both kinds of vanilla. Beat 1 minute with electric mixer.
Add buttermilk and egg yolks and beat another minute.
To make meringue: In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat egg whites lightly. Add cream of tartar and, while continuing to beat, add sugar gradually. Beat until a stiff meringue forms. Fold the meringue gently into cake batter. (Underfolding will leave white streaks; overfolding will make the cake tough.)
Pour into prepared pans. Bake until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. (See note about cake strips.)
Cool on cake racks. Split each layer horizontally to make a total of four layers.
To make whipped cream filling and frosting: In a large chilled bowl, whip cream with electric mixer, gradually adding powdered sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum or stabilizer powder, if using, and vanilla.
Place 1 split layer on a plate, cut side down (the bottom, browner side up, is easier to frost than the cut side). Place wax paper strips under the edge of the cake so the plate will stay neat.
Using a round-tipped steel spatula, spread with a layer of whipped cream filling; top with second cake layer (the baked, brown top facing up). Frost second layer. Top with sliced bananas. Add third layer (second bottom, browner side up) and add more filling, then top with fourth layer (again, the baked, brown top facing up). Frost sides with remaining whipped cream. Add whipped cream rosettes piped with pastry tube, if desired. Or add dollops of whipped cream dropped from a teaspoon.
Garnish rosette in middle with maraschino cherry. Remove wax paper strips. Refrigerate until serving. Note about stabilizers: Xanthan gum and instant Clear Gel stabilizer are available at the Decorette Shop in Tigard and at the Foster Road location, at some health food stores or grocery departments, or at some craft store cooking/hobby departments. Note about vanilla: Using a combination of real and artificial vanilla gives a better texture. Note about cake crumbs: The Bohemian Bakery apparently used dried, ground cake crumbs -- not necessarily banana cake -- pressed onto the outside of the frosted layers. You can skip this step or, Lynda Nestelle suggests, you could buy a couple of muffins, toast broken-up pieces in a toaster oven and process them to crumbs in a food processor. Note about cake strips: Commercial cake strips that go around cake pans help cakes bake perfectly level on the top and prevent overbrowning. Nestelle has found that strips made from old bedsheets, folded 4 layers thick and thoroughly dampened with cold water, work as well. Folded, they should not rise above the edge of the pan. Wrap them around pans, under the pans' rims, to prevent overbrowning on the outside rim. Whipped
