Chef Bert Brown-Orleans cooked up some delicious snacks with Climate Classes and Common Good City Farm using scrap foods and provided the recipes so you can try at home!

Enjoy his Banana Peel Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting recipe:

This recipe uses the peels from very ripe bananas, which are pureed into a smooth mixture that adds moisture and a subtle, earthy banana flavor to the cake.

Yields: One two-layer cake

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 30-40 minutes

Ingredients

For the Cake:

 * Peels from 2 very ripe bananas (about 100 grams), stem and bottom discarded, and well-washed

 * 1 cup water

 * 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened, plus more for buttering the pans

 * 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

 * 2 large eggs, separated

 * 1/2 cup buttermilk

 * 1 2/3 cups cake flour, plus more for flouring the pans

 * 1 teaspoon baking soda

 * 1/4 teaspoon baking powder

 * 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

For the Brown Sugar Frosting:

 * 1/2 cup unsalted butter

 * 1 cup packed light or dark brown sugar

 * 1/4 cup milk (2% or higher)

 * 1 3/4 to 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted

Instructions

 * Prepare the banana peels:

   * Cut the washed banana peels into 1-inch pieces and place them in a small saucepan with 1 cup of water.

   * Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

   * Remove from heat and let the mixture cool slightly.

   * Strain the banana peels, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking water.

   * Transfer the boiled peels and the reserved cooking water to a tall, narrow container and use an immersion blender or a mini food processor to puree until completely smooth. The puree will be dark brown and not very pretty, but that’s what you want!

 * Prepare the cake pans and oven:

   * Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).

   * Butter and flour the sides of two 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

 * Make the cake batter:

   * In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the softened butter and granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).

   * Add the egg yolks one at a time, mixing until each is fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

   * Mix in the banana peel puree, then stir in the buttermilk until well-combined.

   * In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

   * Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir gently, just until combined. Do not overmix.

 * Whip the egg whites:

   * In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.

   * Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the cake batter in two batches, being careful to maintain the air in the whites.

 * Bake the cake:

   * Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.

   * Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

   * Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.

 * Make the frosting:

   * In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

   * Add the brown sugar and milk, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture comes to a gentle boil.

   * Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature.

   * Once cool, use an electric mixer to gradually beat in the sifted powdered sugar until you reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.

 * Assemble the cake:

   * Place one cake layer on a serving plate or stand.

   * Spread a layer of brown sugar frosting on top.

   * Add the second cake layer and frost the top and sides of the cake.

* Serve and enjoy!

Note: For this recipe, make sure to wash banana peal thoroughly before boiling. The riper the banana, the more flavorful the peel will be. If you don’t have buttermilk, you can make a substitute by adding 1/2 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to 1/2 cup of milk and letting it sit for 5 minutes before using.

Thank you to Chef Bert, our volunteers, and attendees for a great scrappy cooking class!