Tennessee Banana-black Walnut Cake With Caramel Frosting

Total Time: 1 hr 10 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (such as crisco)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup black walnut (regular english walnuts may be subbed)
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more as necessary
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups finely chopped black walnuts

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 350°f; grease and flour 2(9-inch) cake pans.
• 2 for the cake: in a medium bowl, stir together flour and baking soda; set aside.
• 3 using an electric mixer, cream together shortening and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
• 4 add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
• 5 mix in mashed bananas, buttermilk,and vanilla; add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
• 6 stir in walnuts.
• 7 pour into prepared pans, bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
• 8 cool in pans on a cooling rack, remove from pans and cool completely.
• 9 while cake is baking, prepare frosting.
• 10 melt butter in a small saucepan.
• 11 add brown sugar and 1/3 cup cream; cook over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
• 12 remove from heat and add vanilla; transfer to a large bowl.
• 13 using a hand mixer, beat in confectioners sugar a little at a time until smooth.
• 14 (if frosting is to thick, add 1 tablespoon heavy cream at a time until consistency is right).
• 15 sandwich 2 layers of cake with frosting; frost outside of the cake.
• 16 press chopped walnuts on sides of cake, if desired.