Do you like bananas? I do and so does my daughter Anne. Since she does our grocery shopping nowadays, she has a method of choosing which bananas to buy. We have a friend from the Philippines who taught us how to select the best banana. She looks for bananas with thick fat ends, not pointy ones. She is right. There is more banana hiding behind the peel. She says they have a better flavor, too.

Anne and I like bananas at different stages of ripeness. She likes hers still slightly green. I like mine like that old banana commercial that said, “flecked with brown and has a golden hue, bananas taste the best and are the best for you.” So, they have to sit a while on the counter before I will even look at them.

To make a long story short, we had some overripe bananas. Anne, who is always chiding me about my sweet tooth, suggested I make a banana cake. So I did. It has been a while since I have stirred one together. I had forgotten how delicious a slice of banana cake can be. No frosting, just cake. They taste good at breakfast, too.

I don't remember where I found this recipe. I have been making it for years. It turns out well if you follow my instructions and don't underbake or overbake. You can make a glaze if you like, but it doesn't need one.

GOLDEN BANANA CAKE
18 1/2-oz yellow cake mix
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup water
4 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas, about 3

To remove any lumps, sift cake mix into large bowl of a stand mixer. Add dry instant pudding mix. Measure oil in 1 cup measure and fill with water. Add to cake mix. Add 4 unbeaten eggs and finally the mashed bananas. Stir well with large kitchen spoon to moisten dry ingredients. Then mix at slow speed until it is mixed well. Stir again with large spoon to incorporate any dry bits. Finally, mix at medium speed for 4 minutes, no less.

Meanwhile, grease and flour a two piece tube pan. Heat oven to 325 F. Finally, pour batter into pan. Thump on counter a couple of times to dislodge any air bubbles. Bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes. At 1 hour, check to see if cake pulls away from the side of the pan and bounces back to the touch. If not done, cook in 5 minute increments. Don't overbake, but don't underbake either or the cake will fall.

Remove from oven. Let cool on wire rack for 10 minutes. Then loosen cake from sides of pan and gently remove outer part of pan. Let sit on wire rack until cooled. Then carefully run a straight spatula around the bottom edge of the cake. Remove cake from pan and return cake, top side up to the wire rack to finish cooling.

If you want to make a glaze, combine half a mashed banana with 2 cups sifted powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. Beat well and spread on cooled cake.