BANANA BOURBON CAKE

Banana Bourbon Cake image

This is a delicious cake. We LOVE nuts at our house, so this recipe is loaded with them. A lot of people tell me this recipe is too nutty, but that doesn't stop them from eating it. This is the way we like it, so that's the way I'm writing the recipe. However, you can omit the nuts altogether from the frosting and still have...

Provided by Kat Williams

Categories Cakes

Number Of Ingredients 19

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Ingredients

CAKE BATTER:
1 c butter, softened
3 c sugar
4 eggs
2 c bananas, mashed (about 5 depending on size)
4 c flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 c buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp bourbon (or banana flavored rum)
1 c pecans (or walnuts), coursely chopped
COCONUT PECAN FROSTING
8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c butter, softened
1 lb confectioners' sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 dash(es) salt
3/4 c sweetened coconut, flaked
1/2 c pecans (or walnuts), coarsely chopped

Steps:

1. CAKE BATTER: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans; set aside. 3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter & sugar. 4. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. 5. Add bananas and blend until well incorporated. 6. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. 7. Begin adding to the creamed mixed alternatively - about 1 cup of the dry ingredients, and then 1/3 cup of the buttermilk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat well after each addition, scrapping sides of bowl often. Continue beating about 2 minutes until mixture is smooth and creamy. 8. Stir in vanilla, bourbon, and pecans. 9. Pour mixture evenly into prepared pans. 10. Bake 40 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. 11. Let set in pan 10 minutes and then remove cake from pans and cool on wire rack. 12. Refrigerate cooled cake at least 30 minutes before frosting. (Freezing cakes actually works best, but you have to wait for the cake to defrost after frosting it before slicing it.) 13. Frost with Coconut Pecan Frosting
2. COCONUT PECAN FROSTING: 1. Whip the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and creamy. 2. Blend in the confectioner's sugar about a cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition and scrapping sides of bowl often. 3. Add vanilla and salt and blend. 4. Stir in coconut and pecans. OR save these to use as frosting garnishes. 5. If cake layers are not flat, trim off rounded tops to make them flat by running a strip of dental floss through the cake to make a smooth cut. Then remove top with a knife. (Discard rounded tops)
3. FROST CAKE: 1. Place bottom layer on cake plate. 2. Cut strips of waxed paper and place them under the cake slightly and over the exposed cake plate to protect it from the icing. 3. Place about 1/2 cup of icing over bottom layer covering cake evenly up to about 1/2-inch of the sides. (Icing will spread to fill in edge as top layers are added) 4. Place middle cake layer over bottom layer and repeat step 3 above. 5. Place top cake layer over middle layer and repeat step 3. 6. Spread remaining frosting over sides of cake. 7. If you saved the pecans and coconut for garnish, add them to the cake immediately while frosting is still soft. Pat the pecans onto sides of cake, and then sprinkle coconut over top (or vice versa, if you prefer.) 8. Remove waxed paper strips from bottom of cake plate revealing a beautiful dessert!