Banana Cake With Creamy Caramel Icing

 Ingredients:

• 2 ½ cups sifted cake flour
• 2 ½ tsp. baking powder
• ½ tsp. baking soda
• ¾ tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. nutmeg
• ½ cup vegetable shortening or butter
• 1 ¼ cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tsp. vanilla
• 1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (4-5)

 Creamy Caramel Icing:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• ¾ cup butter
• ½ cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
• 12 large marshmallows
• 1 tsp. vanilla

 Method:

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside. In an electric mixing bowl, beat shortening until creamy; add sugar gradually, beating until batter is fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla; then add flour mixture alternately with bananas, beating after each addition, until batter is smooth. Pour into 2 greased and floured 9 inch cake pans. Bake in preheated 375 degree F oven for about 25 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool cake completely before icing. For icing, cook sugar, baking soda, butter, buttermilk and syrup in large heavy saucepan over medium low heat, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in marshmallows, and continue cooking until candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees F. Transfer pan to counter padded with a towel. Add vanilla; beat until cloudy and of spreading consistency. This takes a little time, but is worth the effort. Immediately ice cake. Holds well 2-3 days, but rarely lasts longer.

Serves 12-15

 Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.

 THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.

www.thasc.com