Blue Ribbon Banana Cake

By mortonheat

Ingredients

• Filling:
• 3/4 cups butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe banana
• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon slat
• 1 cup flaked coconut, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 3/4 cups cream
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3/4 cups chopped pecans, toasted (optional)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Frosting:
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 3 - 4 tablespoons milk

Preparation

Step 1

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs and beat 2 minutes. Add bananas and beat 2 additional minutes. Set aside. Sift together flour, baking soda and salt. Add to creamed mixture alternately with butter, milk and vanilla. Beat well. Stir in nuts. Turn into 2 lightly greased 9" round cake pans. Sprinkle batter with 1/2 of coconut. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes. Remove cakes and cool coconut side up on wire racks.
Filling - Combine sugar, flour, cream, salt and butter in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until thick. Stir in nuts and vanilla. Cool.
Spread filling on bottom (plain side of one cake layer) Place remaining cake layer with coconut up on top of filling.
Frosting - Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth. Please a 3" circle on top center of cake and frost around. Remove after frosting to exposure coconut.