Vintage Banana Cake

This vintage Banana Cake recipe is the best banana cake I have ever tasted. It is moist and fluffy. If you have been looking for that old fashioned banana cake recipe that your grandmother made this is it!

Old Fashioned Vintage Recipes are the best!

This old fashioned Banana Cake recipe comes from The Kitchen Kapers Cook Book. Recipes compiled by The Woman’s Society of Christian Service First Methodist Church of Dover, Ohio.

I did a little extra research and I believe this cookbook could be from as early as 1930. The recipe was submitted by Lulu Exline.

This vintage cookbook belonged to my husband's grandmother. My mother in law knowing how much I love old vintage recipes was kind enough to pass all of her families cookbooks and recipes on to me.

I've shared a number of them here in the Vintage Recipe Project. I love old fashioned recipes like this. Another great recipe is this old fashioned Apple Dapple Cake. You can never have too many classic dessert recipes on hand.

Original Recipe as written in the cookbook

1 ¼ cup white sugar, 1 cup sour or buttermilk, ½ cup butter, 1 tsp soda, 1 tsp vanilla, 2 eggs, 2 ½ cups flour, 2 bananas, 1 tsp baking powder

Mash bananas fine, set aside. Cream butter and sugar add eggs, add bananas, dissolve soda in buttermilk add with flour alternately to which baking powder has been added.

The above recipe is copied as is. There were no baking instructions.

I made a couple of adjustments to the recipe. I increased the bananas to 3 instead of 2. I also added ½ teaspoon of salt.

Modern day adjustments and mixing directions below.

• The recipe will fill 2 nine inch cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• You could also use loaf pans or make cupcakes with this recipe. You will have to adjust the cooking times of course.

This was really one of the best recipes for banana cake that I've ever tasted. The cake was fluffy and moist with a great banana flavor.

I used about a half a can of chocolate frosting for the filling and left the top and sides unfrosted. This will be my go-to recipe for banana bread, muffins or cake from now on.

Vintage Banana Cake Recipe

I made some slight changes to update the vintage recipe. Follow the recipe in the recipe card below to make the best banana cake you have ever eaten!

Vintage Banana Cake Ingredients

• 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup sour or buttermilk
• ½ cup butter
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 3 large overripe bananas
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt

Vintage Banana Cake Directions

1. Prepare two 9 inch cake pans by greasing them with solid shortening and flouring them.
2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
3. Mix flour with all of the dry ingredients and whisk to incorporate.
4. Mash 3 bananas in a medium-sized bowl.
5. Cream the butter and sugar together.
6. Add eggs to the butter and sugar one at a time and beat until fluffy.
7. Add buttermilk and vanilla to the bananas and mix well.
8. Fold banana mixture into the sugar, and eggs and mix well.
9. Slowly fold flour mixture into the other ingredients.
10. Fold until all ingredients are moist.
11. Pour batter into the prepared cake pans.
12. Bake for 30 minutes or until the center spring back.

Vintage Baking Tips

When tackling old-fashioned cake recipes, consider these five invaluable tips to ensure your baked goods turn out perfectly every time:

1. Room Temperature Ingredients: Ensure ingredients such as eggs, butter, and milk are at room temperature. This facilitates better mixing and helps achieve the correct texture and volume.
2. Sift Dry Ingredients: Sifting flour and other dry ingredients not only removes lumps but also aerates the mixture, leading to a lighter, fluffier cake.
3. Be Precise: Old-fashioned recipes were created in an era when baking was an exact science. Use precise measurements for all ingredients, and consider investing in a kitchen scale for accuracy.
4. Oven Temperature Accuracy: Oven temperatures can be finicky and often inaccurate in older models. Use an oven thermometer to ensure the correct baking temperature, as even a slight variance can impact the cake's outcome.
5. Patience is Key: Unlike modern cakes designed for speed and convenience, old-fashioned cakes might require more delicate handling and longer cooking times. Avoid opening the oven door frequently, as this can cause sudden temperature drops and affect the cake’s rise.

Print the Vintage Recipe Project Banana Cake Recipe Below

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Do you long for the days of yesteryear when homemakers knew how to stretch a dollar to feed their families.? Depression-era woman knew how to feed their families with what they had on hand.

Check out Premeditated Left Overs 16 Frugal Depression Era Recipes to learn how you can be frugal and still feed your family delicious recipes.