Banana Coconut Cake
Country Woman
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Meet the Cook: In our family, a meal isn't considered complete without a dessert - or, sometimes, two! This cake does keep well, but leftovers are a rarity around here.
-Deanna Carruthers, Mossley, Ontario
SERVINGS: 12
CATEGORY: Dessert
METHOD: Baked
TIME: Prep: 30 min. Bake: 25 min. + cooling
Ingredients:
- 3/4 cup shortening
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans, optional
- 1 cup flaked coconut
- BUTTER CREAM FROSTING:
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
- Pinch salt
- 1/4 cup cold evaporated milk
Directions:
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs; beat for 2 minutes. Add bananas and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes. Combine dry ingredients; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Mix well. Stir in pecans if desired. Pour into two greased and floured 9-in. round baking pans. Sprinkle each with coconut.
Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until cake tests done; loosely cover with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking. Cool in pans 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack, coconut side up.
In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and butter. Add remaining frosting ingredients. Mix on low until combined; beat on high for 5 minutes. Place one cake layer, coconut side down, on a cake plate; spread with some of the frosting. Top with second layer, coconut side up; frost sides and 1 in. around top edge of cake, leaving coconut center showing. Yield: 12 servings.