posted by SandyOH 11-06-102 3:36 PM
Joe's "German" Banana Cake
Cake:
1-1/2 sticks butter, softened
2-1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1-2/3 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas (2 or 3 bananas)
2/3 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup chopped pecans
Frosting:
2/3 cup evaporated milk
2/3 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups shredded coconut
2/3 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, soda and salt and mix well.
Add the bananas and half the buttermilk. Mix until the dry ingredients are moistened, then beat vigorously for 2 minutes. Add the remaining buttermilk, the eggs, and the vanilla and beat for an additional 2 minutes. Fold in the nuts.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until nicely browned and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto wire racks to cool completely.
For frosting, combine the evaporated milk, brown sugar, egg yolks, and butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Add the coconut and pecans and beat until the frosting is cool enough to spread. To frost the cake, place one layer on a cake plate or cake stand. Spread top with half the icing (don't worry if some of the icing oozes over the side - it's supposed to look like a big gooey cake). Top with other layer and spread the remaining frosting over it. Cover and allow to stand a few hours before serving.
Makes one 2-layer 9-inch cake
Source: John Hadamuscin's Enchanted Evenings