Banana Snack Cake

Ingredients

• 3 cups (360 grams) cake flour (No cake flour? See note below for substitution)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon table salt (or 1 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 cup (4 ounces/ 113 grams) butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup (50 grams/ 1.75 ounces) vegetable oil
• 1 cup packed (213 grams) light or dark brown sugar
• 3 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 3/4 cups (400 grams) mashed very ripe bananas (3-4 bananas)
• 1 1/2 cups (340 grams/ 12 ounces) buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 recipe peanut butter frosting

Instructions

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (176...: Heat the oven to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C). Coat the inside of a 9x13 rectangle baking pan with vegetable shortening or butter. Sprinkle flour inside the pan and shake it around so that the entire inside of the pan is coated with flour. Tap out the excess flour.

2. 2

   Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda,...: Add the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and ginger to a large bowl and stir with a wire whisk or a fork to combine.

3. 3

   Beat the butter, vegetable oil, and brown sugar...: Beat the butter, vegetable oil, and brown sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the eggs and egg yolk one at a time, beating on medium-high speed after each addition until fully incorporated.

4. 4

   Beat in the vanilla and almond extract, then...: Beat in the vanilla and almond extract, then the mashed banana, beating until well combined.

5. 5

   Add the buttermilk and flour mixture in alternating...: Add the buttermilk and flour mixture in alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour: Flour, buttermilk, flour, buttermilk, flour. Beat in each addition on low speed, mixing just long enough to barely incorporate one addition before adding the next. Be careful to not over-mix.

6. 6

   Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing...: Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing out the top with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon.

7. 7

   Bake the cake in the center of the...: Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 35-45 minutes. The cake is done when it's pulled away from the sides of the pan and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out without any raw batter on it.

8. 8

   Remove the cake from the oven and let...: Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool completely inside the pan before icing the cake with peanut butter frosting, if desired.