I think we’ve discovered another family favorite today. :D I first saw a banana chiffon cake recipe a few years ago but I never did get around to trying it. Then recently, I came across another banana chiffon recipe, this time in Martha Stewart’s new cake book – Martha Stewart’s Cakes. It renewed my interest once again and I was determined to make it. Instead of Martha’s chiffon recipe though, I used my own go-to chiffon cake recipe and modified it slightly to add a banana. Now, who would have thought one banana could flavor an entire chiffon cake? The result was amazing! The cake was moist, tender, and light (the way a chiffon cake should be) and the banana flavor was clean and not overwhelming…it was just absolutely perfect! We honestly did not know what to expect and were simply bowled over by how delicious this cake is. Give it a try – you’ll be amazed as well. Happy Baking!
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ cups sugar, divided
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
6 extra-large eggs, separated
½ cup mashed banana (from 1 ripe banana)
½ cup water
½ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
Confectioners’ sugar (optional)
- Adjust oven rack to the middle position and heat oven to 350ºF.
- Whisk flour, ½ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, mashed banana, water, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract together.
- With an electric mixer, whip egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-low speed until foamy. Then increase mixer speed to medium-high and whip the whites until soft mounds form. Gradually add the remaining ¾ cup sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form.
- Whisk egg yolk mixture into flour mixture until smooth. Fold ⅓ of the whipped egg whites into the batter with a large rubber spatula until combined. Then carefully fold in the remaining egg whites.
- Pour batter into an ungreased tube pan and bake for 50 to 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Invert cake pan and let cake cool completely. To remove the cake, run a small, thin-blade knife around the edge (including around the tube) and bottom of the cake and gently tap to loosen it. If desired, dust the top with confectioners’ sugar right before serving. Enjoy.
Chris, Grammy’s favorite and most requested cake was her banana chiffon cake. We knew when bananas got really ripe that they would next appear in a chiffon cake. She would have loved your recipe. Sounds wonderful.
Mom2
That is a wonderful memory. I’m glad to be able to learn a little bit more about her. I’ll have to make this cake the next time you and Dad visit. :D
I’m definitely bowled over by your chiffon cakes, Chris – ‘Queen of the chiffon bakes’. Ha ha ha…
I’d love to bake this. I have all the ingredients except cream of tartar. Not sure if that will have an impact in making a perfect chiffon bake? Is there a substitute?
Hope you’re doing well, Chris. Christmas is round the corner… ;-)
Hi Isadora,
Good to hear from you! I’m doing okay…have been really busy and currently having my third bout of cold since fall started…bummer! I’ve never tried substituting cream of tartar before but some websites suggest that you could use an equal amount of white vinegar or lemon juice instead. I would hate for you to try and having it not work out…so you should just wait for me to send you some cream of tartar – that’s what friends are for. :D
Hope you and yours are doing well too!
Love,
Chris
[…] recipes over the years but none of them came close to what I remembered eating as a child. This recipe I found while perusing for ideas for over-riped bananas, maybe a winner for me. It’s […]
Okay, so I am thinking if using this recipe for banana Twinkies. Think this will work? How much should I fill the Twinkie pans, 2/3 of the way?
Hi,
I’ve never used a Twinkies pan before, so I’m not sure if it would work. There’s hardly much height for the airy batter to rise. If you do use it, I wouldn’t go beyond 2/3 definitely, maybe even just 1/2. Let me know how it turns out.
Good luck,
Chris
It’s the same method if I bake in cupcakes?
Yes. :) I would recommend using jumbo size muffin pan or bigger. The chiffon batter will rise…a lot.
Thanks，Chris！
You are welcome! I hope everything worked out for you. :)
Hi Chris,
Thank you for your recipe. I am going to attempt this today. May I know the size of your tube pan is it 9″ or 10″? Thanks.
Hi Shirley,
Thank you for stopping by. So sorry for this late reply – my son and I have been sick the past week and I haven’t been logging in to my blog at all. I use a 10″ tube pan…hope that helps. Happy Baking!
Chris
Can I use a 9×2 inches springform pan?
You can but you’ll have to use two pans because the batter will rise a lot. For best result, I recommend using a tube pan. Hope that helps. :)