Rolled Banana Cake

The best thing about this rolled banana cake is that the custard filling is baked along with the cake so you just flip the baked cake out of the pan and roll it up and it's filled and ready to serve. This cake is light and flavorful and would make a great addition to your Easter table.

I first found the recipe on a card at Penzey's Spices. A few weeks later, I made the cake and my family loved it.

Well, I tucked the small recipe card away in a kitchen drawer and somehow it just disappeared. I looked and looked and never was able to find it again. I even searched online and inquired about the recipe at the store.

Nearly two years later, I mentioned to my friend Shannon how I once had this great banana cake recipe from Penzey's. Well, Shannon was the right person to tell.

I don't know how she did it but she tracked the recipe down in a Penzey recipe booklet and presented it to me. It was so nice of her and whenever I bake this cake I feel grateful.

Amazing Rolled Banana Cake
(recipe from Mary Harris; Penzey's One, Volume 3, Issue 5)

5 eggs, divided, room temperature
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
3 tablespoons milk
1 large banana, mashed (1 cup)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Lightly grease a 15x10x1 inch jelly roll pan. Line with parchment paper; grease paper. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a roomy bowl, cream together 1 egg, the cream cheese, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the milk until well blended. Pour into the prepared pan. Set aside.

Pour the cream cheese mixture onto a parchment lined and greased jelly roll pan.

Divide the 4 remaining eggs into whites and yolks. In a medium mixing bowl beat together the 4 egg yolks, banana and vanilla until well blended. Gradually add 1/3 cup of the sugar and beat well.

Beat the 4 egg whites, adding the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar gradually. Beat until stiff. Gently fold into the banana mixture.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg. Gently fold into the banana mixture. Be careful not to beat down the egg whites.

Lightly pour or distribute over the cream cheese filling in the pan. Top with the chopped nuts at this stage, if desired.

Pour the banana cake batter over the cream cheese filling. Use a spatula to gently distribute it evenly.

Bake for 15 minutes. Keep a close eye on it. As soon as the top springs back lightly and pulls from the side of the pan it's done.

Pull from the oven. Dust liberally with sifted powdered sugar, if desired. Run a very thin knife around the edge of the  pan.

When the cake is done, dust it with powdered sugar. And run a thin knife around the edges of the cake.

Place a clean, smooth-textured kitchen towel on top of the cake and quickly flip it over. Gently peel off the parchment paper. If some of the filling sticks to the parchment, scrape it off with a flexible spatula and gently replace it on the cake.

Place a towel over the cake and quickly flip it out of the pan. Remove the parchment and scrape of any filling that is stuck to it and put it back on the cake.

Roll the cake up starting with the short side. Do not let the towel roll into the cake but act as a guide. Lift it in the towel and set it on a serving plate, unrolling just enough so it isn't sitting on the towel, but tuck the towel in on the sides while the cake sets.

Roll up the cake. Don't sweat this - the cake is amazingly flexible and giving.

Use the towel to lift the cake onto a serving platter. Dust with more powdered sugar if desired.

After 20 minutes, remove the towel. Very pretty and already filled.

A slice of banana cake.