Through the Facebook group for food bloggers called Food Bloggers Central, I met Annie Sageer from CiaoChowBambina.com. She’s a beautiful, Italian-American woman with the most gorgeous hair (said from someone with fine, thin, scraggly curly hair). Aside from growing beautiful hair, this clever woman cooks and bakes for the husband she adores and their three children who are off making their way in the world.
Annie might be empty nesting but she cooks like she’s cooking for the big Italian family. You’ll find recipes like rigatoni with greens, gorgonzola and walnuts, slow cooked rustic Italian chicken or acorn squash filled with sausage stuffing.
Through Food Bloggers Central, quite a few of us decided to do a type of blog hop where we all put our names on a list and everyone was to cook a recipe from the person above on the list. Ciaochowbambina was above me and that’s how I came to make this delicious banana cake with cinnamon cream cheese frosting that Annie posted in June last year. I make a lot of banana bread but I can’t remember the last time I made a banana cake.
Annie made this cake for Father’s Day last year for her husband and son but I chose to make it just because it sounded delicious.
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg white, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 4 large ripe bananas
- ¼ cup milk
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ tablespoon vanilla
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup walnuts, chopped
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) degrees.
- Spray 8x8 (20cm) pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer, beat butter, oil and sugar.
- Beat in eggs and egg white, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Mix in vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, mash bananas with milk. Set aside.
- Gradually mix in half the dry ingredients into butter mixture.
- Mix in bananas.
- Mix in remaining dry ingredients.
- Pour cake batter into prepared baking pan.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Cool cake in pan on wire rack.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla.
- Reduce speed and gradually add confectioners' sugar and cinnamon.
- Spread frosting on cake.
- Sprinkle with walnuts.
If you’re a food blogger, click to join Food Bloggers Central. We discuss everything from what angle to shoot photos, how to approach a brand, which lenses to use, how to use light for better photos, how to promote your blog and much more. It’s a closed group so we can say anything we want.
Maureen, thank you so much! Such kind words, my friend! I’m so happy I joined Food Bloggers Central to have the added benefit of meeting you! This post is beautiful! I love your mini cakes!!
I’m so glad you liked it. Everyone who had a cupcake was happy and 2 people asked for the recipe. I told them it was coming. 🙂
I love the frosting the best – cream cheese, cinnamon and walnuts!
Thanks for introducing Food Bloggers Central and ChiaoChow Bambina. I’ll check them out!
I will definitely be checking the Food Blogger Central out. I know chicaochow Bambina blog, she is a sweety.
Now, that is a lovely treat. I enjoy banana cake and that frosting looks amazing.
Making something because it sounds delicious is the best reason of all! And I love the photo of that “naked” one up there (without the blue and white stripey skirt). They are jaunty and adorable!
I really love the frosting of this recipe! The banana cake and cream cheese frosting are pure classic, and the cinnamon and walnuts make them pop out. The pictures make me craving for some now 🙂
I want her hair too! Cannot say mine is thin, but let’s say it could use some brown in the middle of SO MUCH gray! 😉
YOu picked a great recipe and showcased it like a pro, Maureen! Look at those cupcake liners! They are spectacular….
I thought the topping was pistachios when I first drooled over the photo, but now I see they are walnut pieces – my two favorite nuts. Well, I like macadamia too. And cashews. ANd almonds.
I wish I had participated of the bloghop, but maybe it’s better that I did not. Way too much stuff on my plate (sigh)
You are right, Maureen, Annie has gorgeous hair! And what a fantastic recipe this is! Thanks for sharing her and this recipe with us! That cinnamon cream cheese frosting needs to be eaten with a spoon!
The perfect QLD cake – Maureen – love the idea of the blog hop and have just applied to join Food Bloggers Central – thanks for the heads up. I love how you have made these mini cakes!
Oh, wow, that looks wonderful! I love cream cheese frosting, and it seems particularly nice with banana cake. And thanks for the heads up about Food Bloggers Central — definitely will check it out.
Maureen this looks really terrific!!! I may have to try this out! And what kind words 🙂 I love being a part of Food Bloggers Central… It’s such a supportive atmosphere!
What a great idea to make a dish from someone else’s blog?! I’ve gotta check out your FB group, Maureen. This banana cake looks so tasty! Beautiful photography btw.
This sounds really delicious, and those paper cups are the cutest thing ever! Love love love!
What lovely little muffins and the paper liners are bright and remind me of Springtime and the coming Easter. Choosing to make the cake in muffin form is a great idea.
These cupcakes are looking soo good, and I am sure they are really flavorful. Love the paper cups as well.
Ohh Maureen, they look so cute.
I’m with the other girls, that icing sounds divine :))
And thanks too for the links to check out…
cheers, have a happy day xx
I love Annie’s blog, too! I’m not on FB, but thinking I need to join just so I can participate in that group 🙂 Beautiful cakes & beautiful photos, Maureen!
Maureen, what a lovely introduction to Annie. And those cupcakes look yummy!
Hehe we are on the same wavelength Maureen! I am all about banana cake this week-it seems like I can’t get enough. Having a neat version like this gives automatic portion control which I like!
I am with Maggie. That frosting looks amazing. You can’t go wrong with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon only makes it more fabulous. I could possibly skip the cake and just make the frosting it sounds that good. And how lovely is the food bloggers central group. Such a supportive group.
Hi Maureen, love these cupcakes, cream cheese is my favorite frosting. The holders are so cute too!
Hi Maureen
Not a huge fan of bananas but don’t mind them when hidden in cake????. But yes that frosting. Oh scrummo! Looks delish.
What a great post Maureen! Love this banana bread and the frosting is amazing! I’ve been reading Annie’s blog for a long time and absolutely love it 🙂
These look amazing Maureen! I’ve always wanted to do a “wish list” of food blogger’s popular recipes and try the recipes over time. This is a great idea!
I am glad you chose this. I always have over ripe bananas laying around and have been using them for smoothies. I am definitely going to try this! Thanks, Maureen!
they are beautiful and they look delicious and your photography is incredible. I mean really really good pictures!!!!
now that’s weird. My comment got eaten?! Was just saying how much I love the idea of that frosting. So delish!! Bananas not so much but frosting. Yay!
Beautiful cupcakes, I love the combination of the banana cake and the cream cheese topping with cinnamon…I love all the texture in this cupcakes…
Have a wonderful week Maureen 🙂
Oh, this looks delicious! I have four overripe bananas that have no idea what beauties they are going to become. Just printed this recipe. Thanks Maureen and Annie!
There’s too much to like about this post, Maureen. The cakes, food blogger central. Thank you for bringing these to our attention.
These pictures are GORGEOUS!! And the recipe sounds amazing, I have no choice but to pin this, I think I’ll make it for Easter, thanks so much for sharing it with us! 🙂 Love your site!!
Oh! What a fun activity. And this recipe makes me think about the last time I’VE made a banana cake. Geez, it’s been quite a long time. Banana bread, move over. I need to make this cake!
Maureen, you presentation for these cupcakes is just gorgeous. I bet the cupcakes were just delicious. 🙂
I had to giggle that you open the introduction with her hair! She does have gorgeous hair. I love Annie’s blog! She shares the most incredible food! 🙂
looks and sound delish! thanks for sharing!
wishing you all the best, Carol
What a lovely job you did with those banana cakes, Maureen. They look delicious. Gorgeous photos too!
These banana cakes look wonderful. I bet they taste great. I love your stripes wrappers. GG
Love everything about this recipe including those darling little cupcake holders!! Nicely done!!
These cupcakes are so beautiful Maureen. Love the cinnamon in the icing – yum!
I love baked good made with bananas. I also love that you put cinnamon in the cream cheese frosting. The banana cakes look beautiful and delicious.
That sounds so good and so quick, with simple ingredients that I always have on hand. Perfect for when her young adults stop by (or for motivating them to do so). The rigatoni with greens, gorgonzola, and walnut sounds fantastic, too, I stopped by her blog to check it out.
I wish I could grow beautiful hair. I always wanted hair like Julia Roberts. Or Jennifer Aniston. I’m not fussy. I love the look of your cupcakes – gorgeous! And beautiful cupcake holders too xx
These call to my heart! I’ll have to make these because I can never pass on banana cake and I can’t wait to check out Annies Blog! Thanks for sharing Maureen!
I love banana cake and this one sounds superb. One can never have too many recipes for cake or cookies. And I will check out your facebook for bloggers as I love saying whatever I want!
There aren’t many better combos in cake than banana and cinnamon. They look so very pretty in the stripy blue cases too!
These do look so lovely, Maureen. Comforting and good. 🙂
Banana baked goods are always a good choice 🙂 These muffins look so adorable!
What adorable cakes (perfect for Easter!) and that frosting sounds divine!
I’m agree with you Maureen, she has a beautiful hair and her blog is really nice !
The cupcakes looks terrific 🙂
Mmm… This look amazing. 🙂
Cream cheese frosting is my fave. Certainly responsible for a good many extra kilos I carry.
Worth it tho! 🙂
I’m sold I adore banana cake! And I am a sucker for cinnamon as well 😉
Banana cake is my favourite when combined with a cinnamon its even better!
Bellisimo! There is always room for one more banana cake and bread recipe….Especially the scrumptious ones encased in cutie pie cases =) Serious yumminess is happening in this post!
Wow. I love me some banana cake.
These are so cute. Banana cakes are the best!
Can I have some of those please, I am having a coffee now and theres nothing to go with it 🙂
You’re killing me with these cakes!!! I’m still drooling over the Hummingbird and now I’m seeing this banana nut. Love the fruity cake theme you’ve got going here.
I love banana cakes but I love the presentation of these cakes even more. I’m sure these were extremely tasty.