Recipe: Banana Spice Cake with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting (3 layers, 1960-70's)

BANANA SPICE CAKE

1 stick (1/2 cup) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 3/4 cups self-rising flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground mace
1 cup milk
1 large or 2 small bananas, mashed
Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting (recipe follows)
1 cup walnut pieces (for decorating)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour 3 (8-inch) round cake pans.

Combine softened butter with vanilla; gradually add sugar, beat well until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat well again until light. Add mashed bananas, mix well.

Combine self-rising flour with spices. Add this mixture, alternately with the milk to the egg/sugar mixture. Beat until smooth. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 30-35 minutes or until done. Set cakes in pans on rack to cool. Remove cakes from pans.

When cooled, frost with Lemon-Cream Cheese Frosting. Frost between layers, top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with walnut pieces.

LEMON-CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) butter, softened
3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
I Tbsp. grated lemon rind
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Combine softened butter and cream cheese, add sugar, lemon rind and vanilla. Beat until smooth and creamy. (If frosting is not the consistency you like, either add a little milk or a bit of extra sugar)

Makes 1 (8-inch, 3-layer) cake
Source: Magazine recipe clipping, Dixie Crystal sugar ad, 1960-70's