Phyllis Martin's Autumn Memories Cake

On today's show I shared some of the Blue Ribbon winning recipes from the Kentucky State Fair.  This one looks amazing!  It's a banana and black walnut cake, and it's perfect for Autumn gatherings.  Phyllis was the blue ribbon winner last year, and she has reclaimed her title this year with this this cake.  Phyllis was inspired by her childhood memories of picking black walnuts for her mother's holiday baking and her love for bananas.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 teaspoon salt 
3/4 teaspoon baking soda 
2 cups sugar 
4 large eggs 
3/4 cup vegetable oil 
2 medium very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed 
1/2 cup buttermilk 
1/2 cup sour cream 
1 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4 teaspoon black walnut extract 
1 cup black walnut pieces 
1 cup flaked coconut

Directions:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

Note: I prefer regular walnuts to black walnuts since they have a milder flavor.  So I'll be modifying that part when I try this.


Spray four 9-inch round cake pans with baking spray and dust with flour. Line with parchment paper rounds and spray the parchment. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar and eggs at medium high speed with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the oil and beat to combine. Mix in the mashed bananas. Set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, sour cream and flavoring extracts. Add the flour mixture to the oil mixture, alternating with the milk mixture, in three batches, beating well after each addition. Fold in the nuts and the coconut.

Divide batter evenly among the four prepared pans. Bake until the sides are browned and pull slightly away from the sides of the pan, and the cake tests done in the middle. Let cool about 15 minutes, then remove from the pan and let cool completely on wire racks.

Cream cheese banana frosting
• 4 ounces (1 stick) soft unsalted butter 
• 6 ounces (3/4 cup) cream cheese 
• 5 cups powdered sugar 
• 2 teaspoons vanilla 
• 2 tablespoons banana cream liqueur

Directions:
Beat together the butter and the cream cheese, and gradually beat in sugar. Add the vanilla and liqueur. Beat until fluffy (you may need to add a little more liqueur to get a good spreading consistency).

Position one layer on a serving plate and top with frosting. Continue with remaining three layers. Frost top and sides of cake. Decorate with additional chopped walnuts. 
Serves 10-12.