Quest for Light and Fluffy Banana Cake

I love cooking and doing stuffs in the house. My husband always tells me to keep a record of my recipes specially the cakes so my daughter could have it when she grows up and I could pass it on. So here I am starting a blog exclusively about my home making adventure while we are here in Saudi Arabia and how we are trying to live providently as we adjust to the cultural differences and market availability of certain foods we used to  love.

The thing about my love for baking cakes is I keep on experimenting how to substitute and make the usual basic recipes a healthier version until I come up with my own recipe. Sometimes I also lose tract of the recipe and I have to keep going experimenting again. Hopefully blogging about it can help me not to lose my notes.

Banana cake is one of my dear husband's favorite cakes. I also love making it because I hate throwing the overripe bananas that we have on our table.

For years I've been trying the best recipe for banana cake. Usually, I end up with the yummy but overly dense and super moist ones which is not my favorite.

Today as I try substituting and experimenting on recipes I end up with a healthier version of super light and fluffy banana cake that calls for yogurt, and canola oil which I think is healthier than the other recipes that call for butter.

So here is the recipe:

Light and Fluffy Banana Yogurt Cake

2  cups all purpose flour

1/4 cup corn flour

1 1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup canola oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt

5 eggs, yolk and egg whites separated

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cup mashed bananas (I used 5 medium bananas)

1 tsp banana extract (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 320 F. Mix and sift the all purpose flour, corn flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and 1 cup sugar. set aside.

2. Beat the egg whites, and cream of tartar until frothy and add the 1/2 cup sugar, one tbsp at a time until stiff peaks form.

3. Make a well at the center of flour mixture (no. 1) and put the yogurt, oil, vanilla and egg yolk. Beat well and slowly add the mashed bananas as you beat. Then fold in the egg whites.

4. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until tooth pick inserted at the center comes out clean.  I used 9 x 13" rectangular pan. 

Cool and frost with your favorite frosting.