Yield: 16 servings
Preparation time: 35 minutes
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Cake:
3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, beaten
3/4 cup oil
4 large very ripe bananas, mashed (2 cups)
1 cup chopped pecans
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Cream Cheese Frosting:
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, (1 stick) softened
1 package (1 pound) confectioner's sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Cooking time: 25 minutes
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 9 inch round cake pans; set pans aside.
Prepare Banana Nut Cake: In large bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add eggs and oil and stir just until dry ingredients are moistened; do not beat. Stir in bananas, pecans and vanilla. Divide batter equally among prepared pans.
Bake cake 25-28 minute or until toothpick inserted in center of layers comes out clean. Cool layers in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. With samll metal spatula or knife, loosen layers from sides of pans; invert onto racks to cool completely, about 1 hour.
While layers are cooling, prepare Cream Cheese Frosting in medium bowl with mixer on medium speed, blend together cream cheese and butter. Gradually beat in sifter confectioner's sugar, increase speed to medium-high, beat until frosting is light and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Reserve pecans to sprinkle on frosted cake. Fill and frost cake, using about 1/2 cup frosting between each layer.