Pineapple Banana Cake

So I had a bunch of bananas that were well past their prime. I did not feel like making banana bread (like I usually do). So what to do?

I have this awesome cake mix cookbook - 125 recipes to make starting with a package of cake mix. Surely THAT must have something that involves bananas! And lucky me, there was! It was Pineapple Banana Cake - and it sounded like something I would really like to eat on a cold winter day. I could be transported to a Carribean island, listening to the waves crash & watching the palm trees sway in the wind. All without leaving my toasty warm house!

Want some? This recipe is SO quick and easy - no excuses for you not to make it (unless you don't like bananas or pineapple)! So let's go!

Preheat your oven to 350*F, and grease a 9 x 13 pan. Or put paper cups in your muffin tin for cupcakes. Or use a bundt pan. Be adventurous!

Let's start with the (simple) ingredients:
1 box white cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1/2 cup crushed pineapple, well drained
1 1/2 cups mashed banana (3 or 4 bananas)

Mash the bananas:

Add in the eggs and oil. Give it a whirl (or a stir) until all mixed together. Then dump in the pineapple:

Dump in the box of white cake mix and whirl it all up until combined. The recipe said to mix it for 2 minutes on medium speed. I'm a rebel and mixed it for like 30 seconds because it looked good enough to me. Just don't tell anyone!

Pour the batter into your pan of choice! Make sure to use a spatula to get out all the yummy batter. Try not to let your kids see what you are doing. Unless you want this to happen to you:
Whoops... can't say I blame her though - the batter was mighty good (raw eggs and all). Good thing it's being baked!

Follow the baking directions for your box of cake. My recipe book said to bake it for 55 minutes. The cake box said to bake it for 27-33 minutes if using a 9" x 13" cake pan. I chose to put it in for 25 minutes and then have a peek. Good thing I did, because it was just about done! I threw it in for another 3 minutes (28 total) and it was perfect! I let my cake cool in the pan, on a wire rack, but you can turn yours out if you feel like it. Just let it cool for about 25 minutes before turning it out, unless you want Pineapple Banana Crumble instead of Cake. :)

Once the cake is cool - it's time to make frosting for it! My recipe called for pineapple frosting, which consisted of butter, crushed pineapple and icing sugar. I made it, and found it a) overwhelmingly sweet (and I LOVE sweet), and b) not pineapple-y enough and c) kinda yucky.

So I improvised. Now it's delicious! Here is how I made it (sorry, no pictures)!
1/4 cup soft butter (not room temp - softer - but not melty)
1/2 cup crushed pineapple
3 cups icing sugar
2-3 tbsp reserved pineapple juice
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup flaked coconut

*Side note: I used unsweetened coconut - this frosting does NOT need extra sugar*

Beat butter until smooth. Add drained pineapple and vanilla and beat until smooth. Start adding icing sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing after each addition. If it gets too thick, use a bit of pineapple juice (don't just dump all of it, just a bit at a time). Keep doing this until all of your sugar is used up. Add in your coconut and mix it. Keep an eye on it's thickness - use more pineapple juice to keep your frosting a nice, spreadable consistency.

Spread your frosting on your cake. Lick your fingers. And the spatula. Maybe the bowl too. Then cut yourself a nice, big piece of cake, and enjoy your hard work!


Yum!