Dessert, Cake: Banana Cake with Pecan Praline Topping

By LynnK

6/10/2011
For his birhday I was was looking for something special to send to my husband Bill since he was at Ft. Hood, TX with the Army and didn't have a birthday cake. I found a bakery on the internet which only baked his favorite - banana bread!~ I sent Bill two loaves of banana bread with praline topping from "Queen B's" bakery in Tucson. He said it was the best he'd ever eaten. So, later I went searching for a recipe that was similiar, and this was as close as I could get. Here's what Val, the person who orignially submitted this recipe on the internet had to say about it:

"I have a cookbook called The Great American Bakesale that I have used often with great success. The recipes in it are very easy and every one I have tried has been a winner.

I finally made the banana cake from this book and it is fabulous. The cake is really moist and its rich banana flavor is complemented perfectly by the praline frosting.

It is really easy to make. It can be doubled and baked in a 15x10 jelly roll pan. If you don't have the rum, I think you could leave it out and add some vanilla or rum extract. I couldn't taste the rum in the final product anyway."

Val

Ingredients

• 3/4 c dark brown sugar
• 1/3 c butter -- softened
• 3 bananas -- ripe
• 1/4 c buttermilk
• 2 tbsps rum
• 1 egg
• 1 1/4 c flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp cloves
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 c chopped pecans -- toasted
• Pecan Praline Topping
• 1/4 c butter
• 1/2 c dark brown sugar
• 5 tbsps milk
• 2 c powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 c pecan halves -- toasted and coarsely broken

Preparation

Step 1

preheat oven to 350. grease and flour a 9 inch SQUARE pan.

cream sugar, butter, and bananas until smooth and creamy. beat in buttermilk, rum, and egg. blend in all remaining cake ingredients.

pour into pan. bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. cool completely, then spread with topping.

for topping: bring butter and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan. cook over medium heat, stirring, 1 minute or until slightly thickened. let cool 10 minutes. beat in milk, powdered sugar, and vanilla. stir in nuts.