Classic Cakes, Just for Two, with Recipes

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Filling
This recipe makes two cakes; you'll need two pans. One-half of the Chocolate Buttercream will be enough to frost and decorate both cakes. Freeze the remainder.

• 1 small banana, peeled and mashed (1/3 cup)
• 1/4 cup dairy sour cream
• 1 egg
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons butter, softened
• Cream Cheese Filling (see recipe)
• 1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream, divided in half (scroll to bottom for recipe)*
• 2 ounces purchased fondant
• Leaf green and hunter green paste food coloring
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 4 1/2x2-inch angel food cake pans; set aside. In small bowl stir together banana and sour cream. Add egg and vanilla; stir just to combine; set aside. In medium bowl stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, soda, and salt. Add softened butter and banana mixture; beat with electric mixer on low speed until moistened. Beat on medium speed 1 minute more.

Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven about 30 minutes or until tops spring back when lightly touched. Remove; cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Loosen sides; remove cakes from pans. Cool completely.

Trim tops of cakes to so they are level. Cut cakes horizontally in half to make four layers. Place cake bottoms on cake plates, cut sides up. Spread Cream Cheese Filling over cake bottoms. Add cake tops, cut sides down. Reserve 1/4 cup Chocolate Buttercream. Frost top and sides with remaining Chocolate Buttercream using offset spatula or dough scraper to smooth frosting on sides and top. Chill cakes in freezer 1 hour before decorating.

To decorate cakes, divide fondant in half and tint each portion with one shade of green paste food coloring. Roll out fondant to 1/8- to 1/4-inch thickness on a surface sprinkled with powdered sugar. Using a small 3/4- to 1-inch leaf cutter, cut shapes from fondant. Score leaves with knife to create veining; pinch leaves at bottom to add dimension. Brush bottom of leaves with water and attach to cake. In small bowl combine 1/4 cup Chocolate Buttercream and melted unsweetened chocolate. Place chocolate mixture in pastry bag fitted with small round tip. Pipe chocolate branches onto cake; pipe bead border on base of cake. Wrap and freeze one cake up to 1 month, if desired. Store second cake in refrigerator. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour before serving. Makes 2 cakes (2 servings each).

Cream Cheese Filling:
In medium bowl beat 2 ounces cream cheese, softened, and 1 tablespoon butter, softened, with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Beat in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup powdered sugar until combined. Makes 1/2 cup filling.

*Freeze remaining buttercream up to one month.