2 1/4 c  All-purpose flour
     1 ts Baking powder
   3/4 ts Baking soda
   1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
   1/3 c  Butter or margarine
     1 c  Sugar
     2 lg Eggs
     1 c  Well-mashed very ripe nino,
          –manzano, or red bananas
     1 tb Minced fresh ginger
     1 ts Finely grated lemon peel
   1/2 c  Buttermilk
          Gingered whipped cream *
          Ground cinnamon, powdered
          -sugar, crystallized ginger,
          -& fresh mint sprigs (opt.)
 * To make gingered whipped cream: Fold 2 T minced crystallized ginger
 into 2 to 2 1/2 cups slightly sweetened whipped cream.
 Stir togather flour, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon. In another
 bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in
 eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in bananas,
 ginger and peel.
 Stir in flour mixture and buttermilk just until completely blended.
 Pour into a buttered 9″ square cake pan or 9″ by 5″ loaf pan.
 Bake in a 350F oven until cake is golden brown and center springs
 back when lightly pressed, about 45 minutes for cake pan, 50 minutes
 for loaf pan. Cool cake completely. (If making ahead, wrap airtight
 and store room temp up to 1 day.)
 Cut into slices, squares, or shapes with cookie cutters. If using
 whipped cream, place dollops on individual plates; top with pieces of
 cake. Dust lightly with cinnamon and/or powdered sugar pressed
 through a sieve. Garnish with crystallized ginger (cut into shapes)
 and mint if desired.
 Per serving:  302 cal, 8.8 g fat (26%), 5.3 g pro, 262 mg sod, 67 mg
 chol
 Reprinted from Sunset Magazine, May 1996.
                
                 Yields       
                9 Servings