Tennessee Banana-Black Walnut Cake With Caramel Frosting

Name: Tennessee Banana-Black Walnut Cake With Caramel Frosting
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 1 h 10 min
Yield: 12 serving(s)
Ingredients: 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

Submitted by Barb G.

"This is a very good moist cake, with a yummy icing. You can substitute English walnuts for black walnuts*. The recipe is courtesy of Paula Deen"

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Ready In:: 1hr 10mins
Ingredients:: 15
Serves:: 12

ingredients

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)
Frosting
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

directions

Preheat oven to 350°F; grease and flour 2(9-inch) cake pans.
For the cake: In a medium bowl, stir together flour and baking soda; set aside.
Using an electric mixer, cream together shortening and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
Mix in mashed bananas, buttermilk,and vanilla; add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
Stir in walnuts.
Pour into prepared pans, bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
Cool in pans on a cooling rack, remove from pans and cool completely.
While cake is baking, prepare frosting.
Melt butter in a small saucepan.
Add brown sugar and 1/3 cup cream; cook over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and add vanilla; transfer to a large bowl.
Using a hand mixer, beat in confectioners sugar a little at a time until smooth.
(If frosting is to thick, add 1 tablespoon heavy cream at a time until consistency is right).
Sandwich 2 layers of cake with frosting; frost outside of the cake.
Press chopped walnuts on sides of cake, if desired.

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Reviews

This is very good, but oh so rich.....should've known as it is one of Paula Dean's!!! It is a very dense cake and a little goes a long way...I think it could serve several people. Thanks for posting.

startnover
My mama made such wonderful desserts & I hope I live up to what arts she taught me! She was an all around great cook and introduced me to black walnuts at a young age from banana black walnut bread & cake to black walnut ice cream (which is oh so delicious)!!! If you don't care for the icing being too sweet I make a whipped cream caramel icing from scratch which calls for a lot less sugar. No brown sugar at all , the homemade caramel will give a slight golden color anyway. I add 8 to 12 oz. of powdered sugar depending on your sugary needs, 3 cups whipping cream (heavy or light), 1/2 cup caramel sauce, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or kick it up a notch & remove vanilla beans from a pod instead & 1 1/2 - 2 cups black walnuts !! Now this is where I stop and I'm happy or I add an extra touch with 8 oz cream cheese or mascarpone cheese (which ever you like) which will give whipping cream more thickness. As you know because of perishable icing this should stay in frig- if it even makes it there! Hope this helps!

jeniajohnsonhwy246
This was good but the icing was just a little rich for us. Thanks for posting this recipe

gwynn
I have Paulas' book and have tried this cake.. the cake is rich and dense..but I was not fond of the icing...she does say in the book NOT to substitute English walnuts.

Dixie in Pa