Sweet Tea Cake with Lemonade Frosting

• Not much of a sweet tea flavor to me, but a very moist cake perfect for summertime gatherings.  Original directions suggest a 9x13 pan.  I'll likely bake in a half sheet pan next time, which also means it would be good for large crowds.
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• Sweet Tea Cake with Lemonade Frosting
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• Shortening
• 1 ½ c. boiling water
• 3 familiy-size tea bags
• 1 c. butter, softened
• 2 c. sugar
• ½ c. brown sugar
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 3 ½ c. cake flour
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ¼ tsp. baking soda

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease (with shortening) and flour a 13- x 9-inch pan. Pour 1 1/2 cups boiling water over tea bags in a heatproof glass bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and steep 10 minutes. Lift tea bags from liquid, and press against side of bowl, using back of a spoon; discard tea bags. Cool tea 20 minutes.

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• 2. Beat butter in a separate large bowl at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Whisk together cake flour and next 
• 3 ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with 1 cup tea, beginning and ending with flour mixture. (Discard any remaining tea.) Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pan.3. Bake at 350° for 35 to 40 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 20 minutes). Spread Lemonade Frosting on cake.

Frosting:

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

¼ c. butter, softened

6 c. powdered sugar

1 Tbsp. lemon zest

3 Tbsp. lemon juice

Beat all ingredients together until smooth.  Spread over cooled cake.

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Walnut Banana Bread

This is a favorite of the boys' to use up over-ripe bananas.

Walnut Banana Bread

2-3 bananas, mashed
1 c. sugar
½ c. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
juice of half a lemon
1¾ c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking soda
¾ c. chopped walnuts, lightly toasted (optional)

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease 9x5 loaf pan.  In a large bowl, whisk together first 6 ingredients.  In a separate bowl, blend next four dry ingredients.  Stir into wet ingredients just until combined.  Stir in walnuts.  Pour batter into loaf pan.  Bake for 1 hour or until toothpick in center comes out clean and the top is golden brown.

Cool in pan for 10 minutes.  Turn out onto wire rack and let cool completely, if you can wait that long.

Source:  Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible