Mmmmmm... birthday cake

This is an egg-less, milk-less frosted Banana Cake that was a hit when I made it for a good friend's 1-year old. Because it doesn't have the egg whites and straight milk it should be fine for any solid foods baby who has started eating yogurt and wheat already. And who is allowed an occasional sugar treat. It made one 8" X 10" sheet cake and then one small loaf cake (sweets for later!).

I frosted the sheet cake with a version of cream cheese frosting and used the juice from some microwaved frozen blueberries to color the lettering.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

5 big, ripe bananas (about 2 cups)

2 cups plain yogurt
2 scant cups sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups flour (white whole wheat flour works fine here)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8"X10" pan and a small loaf pan with non-stick spray.

In a big bowl smash up the bananas. Add the yogurt through vanilla (all the wet ingredients). Once that is all combined add the baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make sure it is well combined with wet ingredients, then add the flour.

Final step is to add 1 cup of frozen blueberries if you'd like them. Pour batter into the pans...

and bake for about 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and a fork inserted in the cake comes out almost clean of crumbs. (this picture makes them look more golden than they should be)
Then, make the frosting:

Cream Cheese Frosting
To cover one 8X10 sheet cake well, plus extra for writing

1 8-oz. brick cream cheese, at room temperature
2 tablespoons butter
1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon water

Combine the cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar in a bowl with a hand mixer. Add vanilla and water to smooth. Use most of it to frost the cooled banana cake.

If you want to write "Happy Birthday Little One" on the cake here's a way to make fruit dye. Just take a handful of frozen blueberries or raspberries and microwave them in a little water.

The water will turn blue or red and if you mix that into a little bit of the frosting you'll have purple or pink frosting.

You then just fold a piece of wax paper into quarters

and spoon the frosting down in one sealed off corner. I take some scissors and snip off the tiniest bit of that corner and you can write with your wax paper "pen."


Yum!