Navajo cakes are often associated with ceremonies and celebrations. The Navajo Banana Cake is the perfect cake to add to any meal, potluck and festivity. As part of the Kinaaldá ceremony (female coming of age), a special kind of cake is made primarily from corn, called an alkaan, is placed in a pit. After it is buried, a fire will be lit above it to bake it for most of a day. When the ceremony is ending, it will be cut into pieces and served.Directions: In a bowl mash 3 ripe bananas, add 2 eggs and 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter. Mix, using a mixer or by hand. It is OK for this mixture to be lumpy. Add the mix from the package, mix together until you no longer see any dry ingredients in the bowl. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the inside of your cake or bread pan with butter. Pour the batter into the pan, evenly spread the batter, bake for 45 to 60 minutes—until a knife or toothpick comes out clean when you stick it into the center. Eat it plain, sprinkle with powdered sugar, or cover with your favorite icing. Options: Add nuts, chocolate chips or dried fruit to the batter.
Ingredients: enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin), sugar, cocoa, baking soda (sodium bicarbonate)Makes one 8×8 cake
Contains: WheatAdd bananas, eggs and butter. Instructions included. Manufactured in Gallup, NM 87301.
