Hello there– Made this birthday cake, of sorts, for my Mom’s big 85th birthday Open House. You may have already heard me brag about how amazing our Mom is- Bright and Fun and a Facebook whiz! She’s someone we really want to celebrate! So last week we invited all her friends in and served up cake and hugs and lots of photo ops with that birthday gal! It was a whole lot of fun!
BANANA CARAMEL CAKE
Cake:
2 bananas, mashed to a paste
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup caramel sauce*
Topping:
1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream
1 tsp. powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla instant pudding mix
3 bananas
Candied Pecans:
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup sugar
To make the cake, smash the bananas with a fork in a mixing bowl until they are a soft paste. Mix in the sugar, oil and eggs. The stir in the flour baking powder and salt. Spoon the batter into a 9″ or 10″ cake pan** and bake it in a 350 degree oven for 30 to 40 minutes until it’s firm to the touch and cooked through.
Take wooden spoon and use the handle to poke holes about an inch apart all over the top of the warm cake. Then pour in the caramel sauce trying to sink it down into those little holes and covering the top of the cake (if he syrup seems too thick, microwave it for 20 seconds).
While the cake is baking you can make the candied pecans– mix the cup of pecans and 1/2 cup sugar in a small skillet. Cook over medium heat stirring the whole time, until the sugar melts to a golden caramel and coats the pecans. Don’t go to long. It’s easy to burn the sugar! Turn the candied pecans out onto a piece of foil on the counter and let them cool.
When the cake has cooled completely, beat the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla pudding mix with an electric mixer (whisk attachment works best). Cut the the 3 bananas into little disks and spread them in a single layer over the cake. Top the cake and bananas with the cream and pop it into the fridge. Add the pecans just before you’e ready to serve the cake. Delish!
My sis Lulu, Mom (the birthday girl) and me– with all those cakes!
*I like Hershey’s caramel topping.
**I use a springform pan because it’s easy to take the cake out of the pan to sit on a pretty dish.
The Thankful Heart 
Happy B-Day to your Mom!
This cake sounds and looks delicius 🙂
Hi Anna– thank you! Fun to read your blog– The Wooden Bookshelf– lovely photos of a place I’d love to visit…
Beautiful cake 🙂
thanks Alice!!
your cake looks lovely. and happy birthday to your mom!
Hey Micah– love your Mt. Cloud bookstore– bookstores are one of my favorite places to spend an afternoon as well…
cake and books – perfect!
Such a beautiful and delicious cake!! A very Happy Birthdaybto your beautiful Mom!!🎂🎂🍰🍰
Thanks Suzanne– I think she had a lovely day surrounded by lots of people who think she’s the best!!
Happy Birthday to your mom. The cake is just beautiful.
Hey Lacey– thanks! Really like your new portrait photos!! xo
Thanks Rhonda!
Wow! That’s a slice of banana heaven Rhonda!! Love the picture of you and your Mom with the table full of lovely dessert too. Looks like a great celebration 🙂
Hi Melody– it was a sweet day. I know you’re close to your parents and you know how good those days are. xox
Oh, I’m sure I’d enjoy this cake. While in England, I fell in love with Banoffee Pie. Maybe this has a similar flavor. Happy Birthday to your mom. I bet her guests had to try a bit of each of the seven cakes, so much easier than having to choose between all those yummy options!
Hey there Marcia– I’ve heard of Banoffee Pie– but not had a piece. I’m going to go look it up! Love love you “Girls reading books post”!! I have a big collection of people reading (mostly girls) on a Pinterest board– and a few prints of readers up on my walls!! fun post!
Oh my God. I read the title of this post, and I knew I needed to check it out. This cake looks delicious, Rhonda! And I love the picture of the 3 of you. 🙂 You look happy. And big happy birthday to your Mom! I bet she had a great day. Blessings.
Thanks Debbie– You’re do dear –it was a sweet day…
Happy Birthday to your beloved mom! Hip hip hoerayyyy! 🎂🎂🍰🍰💐💐👍🏻
What a lovely festive tasty banana cake this is & What a cool lovely photo with the 3 of you!
Sophie– you’re so dear. thanks.
Happy Birthday to your Mom!! She looks like a fabulous lady! And that cake sounds insanely good! So did everyone try just a little of all the cakes or did they try to stick to one or two? 🙂
You’re so dear Mollie– thanks. All I know is that my father-in-law had 4 different slices!! take care…
What a wonderful blessing, Rhonda, to give your mom a special birthday Day! She sounds like a fun, young-at-heart Mom. Your cake looks delicious… I’ll have to make it for my husband, who loves banana bread & banana pudding 😊
HI Daisy– Yep, love my mom. She is just 9 minutes away and is always ready to hang out. Do you have parents close by??
You gals are gorgeous and your mom is so lucky to have a bday party with all those cakes. I’m sure she loved it. That is my kind of party (who needs entrees?? 😉 – Kat
Love baking cakes with my sis when she is in town. In the picture you don’t see the strawberry cake that was such a disaster, that I threw it into the trash that morning!! It was a drippy mess!