Spiced Banana Cake with Apple Cider Buttercream

Who else is been enjoying the cooling weather? Trying to get my thoughts together as we come off a very disappointing, almost laughable week – politically – in watching the worst debate in history, ever. Getting some fresh air has been a good way to mentally freshen up, you know what I mean? Just go outside and take a deep breathe. I promise it helps, even if it’s a little bit! And in general, I am just loving the crispiness in the air lately. It’s not too chilly yet where you can hang out in a long sleeve and sit on a bench soaking in the sun. Ahhh.. just need a cup of warm cider in my hands, a pumpkin pie and I’ve completed the ideal fall picture haha.

Speaking of cider ~ last week I went to a local pumpkin patch and bought donuts and apple cider. I had a bit left of my quart and I decided to make something spiced using what was left over. I also happen to have two browning bananas chillin in my fridge that needed my attention (yes..yet another banana bread lol).

Although not a pumpkin recipe, a very fall-related one – a banana spiced cake with an apple cider frosting! Mmm, mmm, this one is a keeper guys. If you have an apple you have to eat up from your apple picking, I would also recommend chopping it up, tossing it in flour and folding it into the batter before baking.

Check out the recipe below if you want to switch up your banana bread recipe!

Spiced Banana Cake with Apple Cider Buttercream

A fall twist to your every day banana bread recipe

Dry Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp pumpkin spice

Wet Ingredients

4 whole eggs (room temp)
2 medium ripe bananas
1/3 cup olive oil (or another neutral oil)
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup apple cider
1/3 cup yogurt (greek preferred for fuller density, but can use non-dairy as well)

Apple Cider Buttercream / Topping

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temp)
1 cup apple cider, reduced (how to below)
2-3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cardamom
1-2 tbsp milk
1/3 cup walnuts (or other types of nuts, for topping the cake )

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
Sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and spices in a medium sized bowl
In a separate bowl, mash bananas with a fork, then beat eggs into the mix
Continue to mix in the remainder of the wet ingredients – oil, maple syrup, apple cider and yogurt
Pour in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, mixing together until fully completed, making sure the batter is not over mixed.
OPTIONAL: if you have an apple, chop up in 1/4 inch pieces and toss in a 2 tablespoons of flour, and fold into the final batter.
Pour batter into a buttered 8×8, bake in the oven for 40 minutes or until top is golden, and cake springs back up upon touching the top

Apple Cider Buttercream

While cake is baking, begin preparing the apple cider buttercream. Pour one cup of cider in a sauce pan and boil on medium high until reduced to 1/4 cup. It should be about 7 minutes, to where it is a syrupy consistency.
Using your hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter until light and whipped, about 2 minutes. Add in apple cider syrup and beat together.
Sift in confectioners sugar and spices together into the bowl, and mix all the ingredients together. If using your hand mixer, start slow so as not to spill out the confectioners sugar everywhere! Use a spatula to ensure you don't leave any butter unmixed against the sides of the bowl. Add in additional tablespoons of milk or confectioners sugar to adjust to a consistency that you prefer.

Construct the Cake!

After your cake is out of the oven and cooled, take it out of the pan and onto a plate. Cover the cake with the buttercream using a spatula, and top it off with any nuts – I prefer walnuts which is a great pairing to bananas as well as apples! Throw a few dashes of cinnamon to finish, and you have yourself a delicious spiced banana cake!

Spiced Banana Cake with Apple Cider Buttercream