Banana-Nut Cake with Caramel Icing

A favorite banana cake recipe that I have used for everything from a brunch treat to a requested birthday cake to a potluck. It always get rave reviews. It's the combination of the caramel icing and the bananas that tickles everybody's taste buds.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 50 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins
• Calories: 380 Calories

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup shortening
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup chopped pecans
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup sour cream
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 ¼ cups white sugar, divided
• 1 cup mashed banana
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 cups sifted powdered sugar

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a fluted tube pan (such as Bundt®).

Step 2

Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and mix in pecans. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in another bowl.

Step 3

Beat 1 cup sugar and shortening together with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in banana, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add sour cream and mix until just blended. Add flour mixture and beat until blended.

Step 4

Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar-nut mixture into the prepared cake pan. Top with 1/2 of the cake batter. Follow with remaining nut mixture and cake batter.

Step 5

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan and then turn the cake out onto a wire rack to finish cooling.

Step 6

Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add brown sugar and milk. Bring to a boil; continue to boil for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract; mix in powdered sugar gradually. Top the cooled cake with the frosting.