forgot the shortening (1/2 cup) in banana cake. How can this be served, or rescued?

We forgot the 1/2 cup shortening in banana cake mix. Can this error be fixed out of the oven? It seems to be a wee bit heavy, as in unleavened.
Best Answer
Removing fat from a cake recipe does not generally make it "heavy". Fats weigh down batter or dough, impeding its rise. In fact your basic sponge cake (sometimes called a fatless sponge) has no added fat other than egg yolks and rises quite nicely regardless. I suspect there is another problem with your cake; perhaps expired leavener or inadequate incorporation of air.
(Cake without fat can be tough, but from your question this does not seem to be be your problem.)
If the textural problems are minor enough to still serve your cake, there are plenty of options to add fat and flavor. Fatless sponges are often paired with flavorful fillings. For example, a Victoria sponge is filled with jam and whipped cream. But you can be more creative with flavors to complement the banana: pudding, buttercream, and ganache are all great cake fillings or toppings with plenty of fat and flavor.
Even if the texture is unappealing, the cake can be repurposed to some degree. Cake pops are a dessert where crumbled cake is mixed with frosting, formed into balls, stuck on lollipop sticks, and dipped in chocolate or ganache. This project re-purposes your failed cake and hides both leavening issues and missing fat.
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What can I substitute for shortening in banana bread?
The top shortening substitutes for baking banana bread are butter, lard, applesauce, avocado, coconut oil, and prunes. Make sure to read on for how to use each of these shortening alternatives for the best results.What does shortening do in cake?
Shortening traps more air bubbles and has a higher melting point than butter, so recipes that use shortening tend to produce an end product that will rise a little higher, holds its shape during baking, and has an interior texture that is softer or lighter.Why is my banana cake so dense?
There's a big chance your butter and sugar will over-cream, meaning the butter will trap more air than it should. As the batter bakes, that extra air will deflate and leave you with an overly dense cake. It's all science!How do you fix sunken banana bread?
Make Sure It's Cooked ProperlyForget about the oven! This cake with bananas teached me to value my time
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