Pearl’s Banana Cake

For cake layers
Whisk together 2 cups plain White Lily flour, 1 t baking powder, and ¼ t salt.

Beat together 1 stick butter and 1 c sugar  in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes with a standing mixer or 5 minutes with a handheld. Add 3 large eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in 1 t vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, mixing until blended. Add ½ c milk and mix until just combined, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing just until batter is smooth.

Butter 2 (9-inch) round cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of parchment or wax paper. Butter paper, then dust pans with flour, knocking out excess. Divide batter evenly between cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake in middle of oven until cake is springy to the touch and a tester inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, 15 to 20 minutes at 350°F. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.

Assemble cake:
Peel 4-5 ripe bananas and cut into ¹/₈ “ thick slices, then lightly brush with 2 T lemon juice (to prevent discoloring).

Beat 1 c well chilled whipping cream with ½ c superfine sugar and ½ t vanilla in a bowl with cleaned beaters at medium speed until it just holds stiff peaks.

Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate and spread with ¾  cup whipped cream mixture. Top with 1 layer of banana slices arranged side by side. Arrange second cake layer over bananas and spread remaining cream over top and sides of cake. Arrange remaining bananas, overlapping slightly, on top of cake.