Flavors of Family: Grandma Gitto’s Banana Cake

When my mom was younger, banana cake had been a staple in her childhood; now, almost forty-five years later, it has become a defining element of mine. Passed down from generation to generation, banana cake has been an important culinary tradition that is tied to the roots of our family. In Dominica, the main export used to be bananas, so the banana population had always been plentiful where my mother grew up. Because of this abundance and accessibility, a large portion of Dominicans used it in many of their dishes: banana pudding, banana bread, banana fritters, banana porridge, green banana and fish; the list goes on. Consequently, many of my mom’s fond memories of home were inherently tied to the fruit. I remember my mom reminiscing over how on certain days, she and her family would go down to the Hampstead Estate to learn how to cut and pack bananas; sometimes, nostalgia even brought her back to memories of climbing up trees to get fruits like bananas, guavas, mangos, and coconuts—one of her favorite childhood pastimes. But like a capsule to the past, the culmination of all her youthful happiness could be compacted within the single bite of one of my favorite family dishes: the banana cake.

The dessert is sweet and soft, delicate but firm—it balances the pliable essence of the fruit with the springy texture of the baked delicacy. The dish is further complemented by the refreshing flavor of guava jam slathered between layers of cake. My grandmother would always make it for my mother and her siblings when they were young, and like a matrilineal right, my mother eventually began making it for me and my siblings too. My mother aimed to refine this dish to create the perfect banana cake that would suit the tastes of the whole family. Sometimes it would be too sweet for me, but perfect for my sister and brother. But regardless of the amount of effort and time she would have to put in, my mom would always start from the drawing board in hopes of creating a flawless banana cake that everyone would enjoy. I would say that while growing up, this banana cake was a sibling for me, one who evolved alongside me as time passed. This recipe is the product of many rounds of trial and error, the product of my family and my mom’s family that came before me. It is a flavor that is layered with warm banana, guava jam, and family history. That’s what makes it so lovely.

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 very ripe banana
• 1 & 1/2 cup flour
• I tsp vanilla essence
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp grated lemon peel

Directions

1. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer until fluffy
2. Add the three eggs to the mixture and cream until well incorporated.
3. Peel the three ripe bananas and crush with a fork. Add the banana to the mixture and incorporate with a fork.
4. Add the essence, cinnamon and lemon peel to the mixture. Then mix in the baking soda and baking powder.
5. Pour all the flour and using a fork, gently FOLD the flour into the mixture. Do not over mix.
6. Pour mixture into a greaseproof baking pan (9 in). Bake for 30-40 minutes.
7. Take it out of the oven with care, and be sure to enjoy the food!