Tennessee Banana-Black Walnut Cake With Caramel Frosting - cooking recipe

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

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350\u00b0F; 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.