Banana Cake (with Nutella or cream cheese frosting)

We found this recipe last year when the twins' wanted to try something new for their birthday. We made it with the cream cheese frosting and it was GOOD. Then this year, we tried the same cake with Nutella spread on it as frosting. Super good in a different way.

Twin's Birthday Banana Cake

2 cups bananas, mashed, very ripe (about 4 bananas)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups white granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 ½ cups buttermilk (or use regular or whole milk and add 2 tsp vinegar, set aside for 20 minutes to allow it to sour)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 300 degrees (not convection). 
• Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan (or two round cake pans for a layer cake). 
• Mix mashed banana, lemon juice, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sugar until quite smooth (you don't even have to mash bananas first if they're quite soft and ripe and if you've got a Kitchen Aid mixer or similar – you can start on slow speed and gradually increase speed until you're whipping everything together until smooth) 
• Add flour one cup at a time, adding some of the buttermilk in between each cup and adding the salt and baking soda with the last cup of flour 
• Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and bake in preheated oven for 55-60 minutes or until cake is set and toothpick inserted in center comes out mostly clean.

Cream Cheese Frosting (can use Nutella instead if you want)

1/4 cup butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese (½ an 8 oz brick)
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powered sugar
Garnish: Chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

Directions:
· Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
· Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
· Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
· Spread on cooled cake.
· Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

Original recipe - slightly different: http://www.food.com/recipe/best-ever-banana-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting-67256#ixzz1jNK7AZk6