Banana Cake Butterfly

C and R helped me make a butterfly banana cake this week; we even got a little help with the frosting from T. This cake is really good and we make it often. The recipe comes from The One-Armed Cook cookbook by Cynthia Stevens Graubart and Catherine Fliegel. The book features quick and easy recipes, meal plans, and advice for moms. If you click on the title of the book in the earlier sentence, you will be routed to The One-Armed Cook website where you can find more recipes and information. (I have the cookbook and enjoy it; I am not being compensated for this recommendation.)

Banana Cake
2 sticks butter softened to room temp.
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup mashed banana
1 3/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Coat two 9 inch layer cake pans with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Mix on high for one minute, until light and fluffy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
5. Add mashed banana and beat for one minute.
6. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda, stirring well to mix. Add to banana mixture. On low speed, continue mixing until thoroughly mixed.
7. Add milk and vanilla. Mix for one minute.
8. Pour batter into the prepared pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

We frosted the cake with cream cheese frosting:

1. Mix 8 oz cream cheese and 1 stick butter (both at room temp) on high speed for 1 minute
2. Add 1 pound confectioner's sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and mix on low speed for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
3. Frost your cake

I only used one layer of the cake and half of the frosting to make the butterfly.
I first saw the butterfly cake on the Living and Learning blog. I am happy that she posted this because it was fun and so easy to do! Here are some photos that show how I cut the cake:
After we frosted the cake, I outlined the butterfly with yellow icing. Then, we covered the body with chocolate sprinkles and used pink and rainbow sparkling sugar to decorate the wings.

Click here for complete directions from the Betty Crocker website on how to cut the cake.