Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

I was making my Perfect, Easy Banana Bread recipeI and I had the idea to make it in round cake tins instead of the usual loaf pans...and this is the result of that idea. The cake is basically made from a double recipe of my Perfect, Easy Banana Bread recipe with the only major change being that the baking soda and some of the spices are not doubled. The link to the cream cheese frosting recipe by itself is here.

Ingredients for the cake:

• 1 cup (226g) butter, melted

• 2 cups (400g) brown sugar or a little less to taste

• 4 eggs

• 3 cups (360g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp ground ginger (optional)

• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

• 1 heaping cup (≈260g) sour cream or full fat Greek yogurt (this means a little bit more than 1 cup)

• 4 well ripened bananas, mashed

Ingredients for the frosting:

• 8oz full fat cream cheese (1 regular block of Philadelphia style) at room temperature

• 1 stick (113g) unsalted butter at room temperature

• 1 1 lb box (454g) powdered/confectioners'/icing sugar

• ~1 tsp vanilla extract

Method for the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

2. Prepare two 9" round cake pans with butter and flour (I think it's easy to use Pam baking spray) and round of parchment paper at the bottom. (I cut my rounds out myself---it takes two minutes and you can find a quick tutorial on YouTube)

3. In a large bowl, stir together the melted butter and sugar.

4. Add the eggs one at a time. Mix well after each incorporation.

5. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Stir into the butter mixture until smooth. (I just measure everything straight into the same bowl.)

6. Finally, fold in the yogurt and bananas.

7. Divide evenly into the prepared pans.

8. Bake at 350 degrees F for 32-37 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

9. Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before unmolding to a wire rack to cool completely.

Method for the frosting:

1. When the cakes are completely cool, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric hand mixer until well combined and creamy.

2. Add half of the powdered sugar, beat until very well combined, add the remaining half of the powdered sugar, and beat until very well combined.

3. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Assembly:

1. Lay the first layer on a cake plate or stand.

2. Spread frosting across the top, leaving about an inch of room around the edges (the top layer will compress this and push it out to the ends).

3. Top with the second layer, pressing down on the first so that the frosting in between spreads out to the sides.

4. Spread frosting on top (you will likely not need all of it) and sprinkle powdered cinnamon on top.