I volunteered to make my nephew’s birthday cake (he’s turning 2) this Sunday… for about 20-25 people (mostly kids). I am going to make a quarter sheet (13 X 9 X 2) layer cake. My sister doesn’t have too many guidelines, but she mentioned liking a yellow cake with banana cream filling or a variation on that. Since it’s banana flavored, I would like to make the Banana Refrigerator Cake from RHC (page 133). Should I fill and frost it with the dreamy creamy white chocolate frosting? Or should I fill it with a banana pastry cream and frost it with the white chocolate frosting? Will banana cake and banana cream filling be too much banana flavor?  I have never made the Banana Refrigerator Cake so I really don’t know how strong the banana flavor is and I don’t have time (or money) for a test run… I know that the Tropical Wedding Cake (page 391) pairs the banana cake with a passion mouselline filling but I don’t think passion fruit is a flavor kids would enjoy.. Any ideas/suggestions?  Also, can I use the batter for the two 12 X 2 inch pans (Tropical Wedding Cake, page 392) and bake this in two 13 X 9 X 2 quarter sheet pans?

adrie318 - 03 October 2012 08:07 PM

Will banana cake and banana cream filling be too much banana flavor?

Since this is for young kids, I’d say it’s better to play it safe and just go with the cream cheese frosting for both filling and exterior.  The banana refrigerator cake has a nice banana flavor but is not overly strong, they will probably love it if they like bananas.

I know that the Tropical Wedding Cake (page 391) pairs the banana cake with a passion mouselline filling but I don’t think passion fruit is a flavor kids would enjoy.

I agree.

Also, can I use the batter for the two 12 X 2 inch pans (Tropical Wedding Cake, page 392) and bake this in two 13 X 9 X 2 quarter sheet pans?

I don’t have my book in front of me, so I’ll have to do this geometrically.  The volume of a 9x13x2 pan is 234 cubic inches, while the volume of a 12x2 circle pan is 226 cubic inches.  You could probably do it if the cake for the 12” pan is filled 2/3 full (does the recipe say?).  As for leavening, you should be OK.

Thank you for replying! I will take your suggestion and play it safe, with all cream cheese frosting. (less work for me too! : ) Also, I checked RHC, and Rose says to fill the 12 X 2 pans half full.. what would you do?

OK, I have my books here to look at.  According to the Cake Bible, one 12x2 pan holds 15 cups volume while one 9x13x2 pan holds 15.5 cups.  If it were me, I’d probably just go with the 12x2 recipe as written rather than scale up a tiny amount. 

Be sure to use very, very ripe bananas

Thank you! I am going to bake the layers tonight…. I will let you know how it goes!

I finished baking my layers. I increased the recipe a tiny bit and ended up with 2 quarter sheet layers that rose pretty evenly and to a nice height (I forgot to measure ; ) and 4 extra baby cakes that I baked in ramekins.  I also made the dreamy creamy white chocolate frosting AS WELL AS the white chocolate cream cheese buttercream (TCB) because I was worried that the dreamy creamy frosting was too creamy for the outside of the cake! So I filled the cake with the first, and frosted it with the second… I really need to learn to keep things a bit more simple! Tomorrow I have to decorate : )  I am a little worried because I forgot that the white chocolate would tint the frosting off white with tiny black specks from the vanilla… I probably should’ve stuck to an all white frosting to make the cake easier to decorate.

Here is the finished cake and cake slice. I am really happy with the results… the cake was delicious and everyone loved it!

Wonderful job decorating, and I’ll bet it was delicious, too!

thank you : ) It really was yummy… my favorite cake/frosting combination so far!

Interesting cake Adrie, i like decoration too.