I get all excited when I see a bag of black spotted overly ripe nanas at the grocery store! Especially when they are marked at 99cents for a BIG bag!

This bunch is NOT RIPE enough YET!  

I leave them in a paper bag or basket on the counter until they are very very very ripe - nearly all black spots covering the peels. This may take days or they may be like that when I bring them home. Then I pop them in a zipper seal bag (do not peel) and store in my freezer. When ready to make this cake or banana bread or any recipe calling for mashed bananas -- just remove from the freezer and let thaw slightly ( you can even run hot water over them) and slide the banana out of the black peel (caution : it will be slimy!)

Then mash and use in any recipe! This works great and you always have VERY VERY RIPE bananas on hand for your recipes. The riper the banana -- the sweeter flavor your baked goods will have....not to mention that this frozen bananas are great for smoothies. Yesterday I took one from the bag in the freezer, ran it under some warm water, and used a sharp knife and peeled the frozen peel off just like you would peel any peice of fruit. I cut it in 1" lengths and dropped it into the blender with my other ingredients...wow! Yummmy smoothie!

Here is my most favorite of all cakes to make from scratch! It is sooo simple! Try it?

NANA NUT CAKE

2 1/4 cup plain all-purpose flour(this recipe works fine with using half of that measurement with finely ground whole wheat pastry flour too)
1 2/3 cup sugar (turbinado sugar works just great if you are off "white" sugar)
2/3 cup vegetable shortening (like "Crisco" - I use Spectrum Non-Hydrogenated Shortening)
2/3 cup buttermilk
3 eggs
1 1/4 tsp. baking powder
1 1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 - 6 VERY RIPE mashed bananas
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a large mixer bowl and blend on medium speed for 3 minutes. Pour batter into prepared cake pans (greased and lightly floured) ( I use a 9x13 or you can use 2 8" round or square pans) Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until pick inserted comes out clean from the center of the cake. Cool completely. Frost with cream cheese icing.

CREAM CHEESE ICING

1 pkg 8 oz. cream cheese softened
1 stick of real butter (1/2 cup)
1 box of 10x sugar
1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

Spread thickly over cake when completely cooled and garnish top with crushed walnut pieces.