Tropical Banana Cake - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Cake
2 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed banana (, about 3)
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
Topping
1 cup brown sugar
8 tablespoons butter or 8 tablespoons margarine, softened
4 tablespoons milk
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 cup shredded coconut

Preparation

Mix the dry ingredients for the cake in a large bowl.
Add the banana, buttermilk and shortening, mix on medium with an electric mixer.
Add the eggs and vanilla, mix until well incorporated.
Pour batter into 1 9x13\" pan which has been greased and floured, or 2 8\" pans that have been greased and floured.
Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
Remove cakes from oven and cool.
For 8\" layers, cool 10 minutes in the pans, turn out onto racks and cool completely.
Frosting----------.
Mix the brown sugar with the butter until combined.
Add milk and mix until combine.
Add pecans and coconut.
For a 9x13 cake-------.
Cover the cake with the frosting mixture and put under a broiler for 3-4 minutes.
For the layer cake: Put the layers on a cookie sheet and spread each one with half of the frosting.
Broil for 3-4 minutes.
Let cool completely before assembling the cake.
This makes a very good, rustic looking layer cake.