Ultimate Banana Cake

I always pop older bananas (Peeled) in the freezer in a zip lock bag so I can make this whenever we have a taste for it. Somehow all the goodness of the bananas makes me think it is a healthy treat. Fancy enough for a special occassion, it is worth the effort. And isn't this a great way to get your potasium?

Ultimate Banana Cake:

3 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon nutmet

2 teaspoon cocoa

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup peanut butter

3 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk or milk you have added 1 teaspoon of vinegar to

1 tablespoon maple flavoring

5 bananas (can get by with 4)

2 cups coconut

2 cups pecans chopped but in big pieces

1/2 cup raisins

2 nine inch cake pans that have been sprayed with vegetable spray, lined with parchment paper (bottoms only) and sprayed again.

Beat the oil, sugar, peanut butter, and maple flavoring. Add eggs and continue to beat. Mix milk and bananas and add alternately to the batter with the dry ingredients. Fold in pecans, raisins, and coconut.

Turn into 2 9inch pans.

Bake at 350 for about 30 minutes until a knife comes out clean.

Cool. Remove from pans, remove parchment paper.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8 oz packages of cream cheese softened

1/2 cup butter

3 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat all together and frost cake (note-do not over load the middle layers as this is not a huge recipe of frosting and you will want to generously frost the top)

Caramel Topping:

1 1/2 cups whipping cream (not whipped)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons honey

4 tablespoons water

1 cup butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat the cream in a heavy pan to a boil. Set aside

In a separate heavy pan heat the sugar, honey and water to a boil and then let cook for about five minutes. While mixing vigorously add the heated cream. Remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla.

When cool pour over frosted cake. Let caramel sauce run down the sides.