Maxine Saar's Banana Cake

1-3/4 cups sifted flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup shortening 2 eggs 1 cup mashed bananas (2 or 3) 1/4 cup buttermilk or sour milk 1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour. Measure, then sift again with salt, baking powder and soda. Cream shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and beat well. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk, stirring well after each addition. Add mashed bananas and vanilla; beat until smooth. Bake in a greased and floured 9x13-inch cake pan for about 30 minutes or until cake tests done.

Notes:
Maxine Saar contributed this recipe to the Jolly Neighbors Extension Club of Rose, Nebraska, for a hand-written cookbook that they made during the early 1960's. I have expanded the directions a little because all the recipes were greatly condensed to fit on one side of a 3x5" recipe card. Marion and Maxine Saar were neighbors who lived in the Duff Valley and Maxine was my mother's first cousin. I attended country grade school through 4th grade with their children: Mark, Gary, Gwen, and Mike.

Hummingbird Cake

Cake ingredients 3 cups all purpose flour 2 cups sugar 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon cinnamon

3 eggs beaten 1 cup salad oil (see note below) 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 (18 oz.) can crushed pineapple 1 cup chopped walnuts 2 cups bananas, mashed

Cream Cheese Frosting ingredients

1 cup butter, softened 2 (8 oz.) packs cream cheese

2 lb. powdered sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour three 9-inch cake pans.
2. Stir together flour, sugar, salt, soda, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs and salad oil, stirring with a spoon until mixed with flour. Add vanilla, pineapple, mashed bananas, and 1 cup chopped walnuts, stirring with a spoon.
3. Spoon batter into cake pans. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean (30 to 40 minutes.)
4. Cool cakes in pans for 10 to 15 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of each pan to loosen. Remove cakes from pans and cool on wire racks.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat well with electric mixer. Add confectioner's sugar, a bit at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat until smooth.
6. With a serrated knife, cut the rounded top off first cake layer, so that it has a flat surface. Spread with frosting and set another cake on top. Repeat process; do not cut the top off the last layer. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle 1 cup chopped walnuts over top. Serve at room temperature; store in refrigerator up to three days.

Notes:
I have two recipes for Hummingbird Cake and the only significant difference in the ingredients is that one calls for 1 cup of oil and one calls for 1-1/2 cup of oil.