BANANA CAKE WITH COFFEE FROSTING

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white whole-wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium-size (1 1/2 cups) ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. 

Combine the flours, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with bananas and sour cream, beating well after each addition.

Pour into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.
Frosting:
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp instant coffee granules
2 to 3 tbsp milk

In a small bowl, beat butter and confectioners' sugar until smooth. Dissolve coffee granules in milk; add to butter mixture and beat until smooth. Spread over cake.

Top each piece of cake with a couple of fresh banana slices when serving, if desired.Yield: 12 - 15 servings

Note: This is my version of a recipe I got from an old TOH Holiday Celebrations Book.

ELVIS PRESLEY'S FAVORITE WHIPPING CREAM POUND CAKE

This recipe is going around as Elvis Presley's Favorite Whipping Cream Pound Cake. I have no idea if that is true. I have his longtime cook's cookbook and this cake is not in it. Whether it was his favorite or not, it does sound good and all you non-diabetics out there might want to try it.

3 cups sugar
1/2 lb butter, softened
7 eggs, room temperature
3 cups cake flour, sifted twice
1 cup whipping cream (heavy cream)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Butter and flour a 10 inch tube or bundt pan.
Thoroughly cream together sugar and butter. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in half the flour, then the whipping cream, then the other half of the flour. Add Vanilla.
Pour into prepared pan. Set in COLD oven and turn heat to 350ºF. Bake 1 hour to 70 minutes, until a sharp knife inserted in cake turns out clean.
Cool in pan 5 minutes. Remove from pan and cool thoroughly. Wrapped well, this cake will keep for several days.

ICING
1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons milk- Mix and Drizzle Over Cake.

STRAWBERRY BROWNIES

A friend gave me this recipe and she had gotten it elsewhere. I disagree with the title because I think brownies have chocolate in them. To me this is more strawberry bars. But whatever you call them they are good. My 11-year-old granddaughter made these for a bake sale. They sold very well.

1 box strawberry cake mix (I use Duncan Hines)
2 eggs
1/3 cup oil
1 cup powdered sugar
½ -2 TB water or milk
Mix strawberry cake mix, eggs, and oil until well combined.

Spread in 9 X 13 pan lined with parchment paper (lining makes it easy to lift entire contents from pan for glazing and cutting).

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes or until done in center. Be careful to remove before edges brown; these taste best when "just done" rather than too done.

Mix powdered sugar and water or milk until smooth. Pour glaze over brownies while hot. Spread glaze to edges, allowing it to drip down sides. Allow brownies to cool and glaze to set before cutting into squares.

Yield: 10 to 12 servings.