Shelly's Recipe

BANANA NUT COFFEECKE WITH CARAMEL ICING

Category: Coffee Cake

Nut Filling:
1/4 cup cinnamon sugar (see note below)
1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Cake:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening or butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 large very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder and baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Icing:
6 tbsp butter
3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a bundt or tube pan well with non-stick cooking spray.

Mix nut filling ingredients together well; set aside.

With a mixer, cream shortening and sugar until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, mashed banana and vanilla. Add the sour cream and mix until blended. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, and add to the batter; beat until well blended.

Sprinkle half the cinnamon nut mixture into the prepared baking pan and top with half the batter. Repeat with the remainder of the cinnamon nut mixture, and then the remainder of the batter.

Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes on a rack, then turn out the cake onto the rack to finish cooling.

Top with Caramel Icing.
Caramel Icing:
Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the sugar and milk. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, add the vanilla, and gradually mix in the powdered sugar. (Note that the icing hardens rather quickly, so you need to work fast. If it hardens up too quickly for you, add some milk to thin it out.)

Notes:
I made my own cinnamon sugar using 3 tbsp sugar and 1 tbsp ground cinnamon.