Banana Cake

For cake layers

For filling and icing

Cake layers

Preheat oven to 350°. 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.
Whisk together 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt.
Beat together butter and 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 eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low and add half of flour mixture, mixing until blended. Add milk and mix until just combined, then add remaining flour mixture, mixing just until batter is smooth.
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. Cool in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, remove paper, and cool completely.

Assemble Cake:

Peel bananas and cut into â…›-inch thick slices, then lightly brush with lemon juice (to prevent discoloring).
Beat cream with superfine sugar and 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. 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.