Bananas Foster Cake

[Trish]

Bananas Foster Cake

Ingredients for Cake:

    1 cup butter
    1 cup granulated sugar
    1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
    5 large eggs
    3 cups all-purpose flour
    1 tsp baking soda
    1/4 tsp salt
    1 cup milk
    3 ripe bananas, mashed
    1 tsp vanilla extract
    cooking spray for baking (with added flour)
    2 firm ripe bananas, sliced

Ingredients for Brown Sugar Rum Glaze:

    6 Tbsp light brown sugar
    1 Tbsp light corn syrup
    1 Tbsp butter
    2 Tbsp dark rum
    1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Ingredients for Cream Cheese Frosting:

    2 (8 oz) packages softened cream cheese
    1 cup butter, softened
    2 (16 oz) packages powdered sugar, sifted
    2 Tbsp milk
    4 tsp vanilla
    Garnishes:  cinnamon sticks, pralines

 Ingredients for Classic Southern Pralines:

    1 cup heavy cream
    2 cups packed brown sugar
    1 tsp vanilla
    2.5 cups lightly toasted pecan halves

Method-

Method for Cake:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine sifted flour, salt, and baking soda.  Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until blended after each addition.  Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low spread until blended after each addition, stopping to scrape bowl as needed.   Stir in mashed bananas and vanilla.

Pour batter into 3 (8") round cake pans coated with cooking spray for baking.  These will generally say "with added flour."  I also like to cut rounds of parchment paper and place these in the bottom of the pans for extra "insurance."  Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Run a sharp knife around the edges of pan.  Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks 5 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks, and cool completely (about 1 hour).

Meanwhile, prepare glaze:  Bring brown sugar, corn syrup, and 3 Tbsp water to a boil in a small saucepan, stirring constantly.  Cook, stirring 1 minute or until sugar dissolves.  Stir in butter, rum, and cinnamon.

Prepare Cream Cheese Frosting:  Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth; stir in milk and vanilla.  *Note - my ingredient list represents a double portion of the frosting suggested by the recipe.  I can never seem to make a "single" portion ice a cake the way I believe it should be.  So I doubled it.

Pierce cake layers with a wooden pick (I used a wooden skewer); drizzle with Brown Sugar Rum Glaze.  Let stand for at least 10 minutes.

Spread a little Cream Cheese Frosting on 1 cake layer; arrange half of banana slices over frosting.  Repeat procedure with a second cake layer with frosting and remaining half of banana slices. Top with the third cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.  Garnish with praline pieces and cinnamon sticks.

Method for Pralines:

Prepare a sheet tray by covering it with waxed paper.  Combine brown sugar and cream in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir with a wooden spoon until sugar is dissolved, then do not stir any more.  Insert candy thermometer and boil until the sugar reaches 240 degrees (soft-ball stage).  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Continue to stir until mixture thickens and becomes opaque.  Stir in all pecans, and drop by teaspoonfuls on prepared sheet tray. Allow to cool completely at room temperature before removing from waxed paper.  Now that we have the pralines, break them into large chunks and use them as garnish.

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