The Best Banana Cake

1-1/3 cup mashed bananas
2-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice, divided
1-1/2 cups milk
3 cups flour
1/2 Tblsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Frosting:
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup butter, softened
3 to 3-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. lemon zest (from 1 lemon)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Grease and flour a 9x13" pan.

Place 1-1/2 Tblsp. lemon juice in a measuring cup.  Top to 1-1/2 cups with milk.  Set aside.

Mix together mashed banana with 1 Tblsp. lemon juice, set aside.

Beat together butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until combined.  Add vanilla.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix on high until light and fluffy (almost the texture of frosting).

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.  Alternate adding flour mixture and milk to egg mixture; stir just until combined.  DO NOT OVERMIX.  Fold in bananas.

Pour into prepared pan.  Put into the oven and reduce heat to 300 F,  Bake 60 to 70 minutes (see note below) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  DO NOT OVERBAKE.

Remove from oven and place in the freezer for 45 minutes to make the cake extra moist.  Cool completely before frosting.

FROSTING:

Cream together butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add in lemon zest and juice.  Add powdered sugar a little at a time until you reach desired consistency.  Spread over cooled cake.

NOTES:

The cooking time on this cake can vary!  Check your cake at 55 minutes.  If it isn't ready, continue cooking until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  This can be up to an additional 20-30 minutes depending on your oven.

Make sure eggs and butter are at room temperature.

You need the acidity from the lemon juice (and milk) mixture.  Subbing in just milk or cream won't work.  However, you can use buttermilk in its place if needed.

When mixing the butter, sugars, vanilla, and eggs, beat the mixture until VERY FLUFFY, almost the consistency of a fluffy buttercream frosting.  This should take about 5 minutes.

When adding the flour mixture, mix JUST until combined.  Over-mixing will result in a dense chewy cake.

From the kitchen of:  Spend with Pennies