Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe and Downton Abbey

I hope that you had a fabulous weekend! I know I did, visiting with friends, baking a banana cake which I found on Pinterest, and spending time with my family. Is there anything better? Top that off with Downton Abbey and you have the perfect weekend.

Still in the spirit here, even though it is January.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Recipe from Bake or Break Blog

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoon of unsalted butter at room temperature

2 tablespoons of canola oil

3/4 cup of sugar

2 large eggs at room temperature

1 egg white at room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large ripe bananas

1/4 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 375. Spray an 8 inch pan with cooking spray.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, an salt, set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat oil, butter, and sugar. Beat in eggs and egg whites on at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

In a separate bowl, mash bananas with milk. Set aside.

Gradually add half of dry mix into butter mixture. Mix in bananas. Mix in remaining dry ingredients. Pour into pan. Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on wire rack.

Prior to Downton Abbey our local PBS station featured a program called The Secrets of the Manor House, did you see it? If you did not, try to find it on your local PBS station, because it is fascinating. Basically it tells the story of  living and working in a Manor House in Great Britain, from the height of the Manor House life which was during the Edwardian Era, to the “cash for title” period where wealthy American women infused Great Britain with cash and in turn gained titles. In addition, the historians and current  members of the aristocracy details of the true hardship of the life of a servant; where a maids day lasted for 17 hours as she scrubbed floors, cleaned grates, scuttled coal and sometimes carried 45 gallons of water of numerous flights of stairs for an aristocrats bath. 

As for Downtown Abbey I loved this weeks episode, I simply cannot get enough! I hope you enjoyed it! Speaking of which, I read an article in the The New York Times that list books suggested by the major publishing houses if you are “Mad for Downtown Abbey.” If you have some book suggestions of your own I would love to hear them! Leave me a note in the comment section or email me.

On last thing, Suzanne at  Privet and Holly has a wonderful post and link on Monday’s, it is called Monday Moments and this week she features a beautiful and uplifting story of love and hope!