Gluten-Free Banana Cake

I have been trying to get a picture of the elusive banana cake for months now and I finally have one for you!

Gluten-Free Banana Cake

I discovered this recipe from Taste of Home in January.  With a few tweaks I made it gluten-free and turned it into a cake worthy of breakfast.  As the first sentence hinted at this cake does not hang around our house long.

Ingredients:
2/3 cup shortening
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs, separated
2 cups mashed bananas (about 4 medium)
1 cup milk
3 cups all-purpose gluten free flour (be sure there is xantham gum in the mix)
2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add bananas and milk; mix just until combined.  Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add to the cream mixture and beat for 2 minutes.

In another bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.  Fold into batter.  Pour into a greased 13" X 19" baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy.  Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla, beat until smooth.  Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time until you achieve the appropriate frosting consistency.  Spread over cake.  I only use half of the frosting on this cake since we eat it for breakfast and I store the rest in the freezer or refrigerator for later use.

Store the frosted cake in the refrigerator.  I make my cake the night before, then in the morning I slice it, put the slices on a plate and heat them briefly in the microwave (about 45 seconds for 6-8 slices).  This supposedly yields 15 servings.  In our house the cake lasts maybe two days at the most.  :-)