15 servings
YouTube instructional video is at the bottom.
What you’ll need
All-purpose flour
Sugar
Brown sugar
Salt
Baking powder
Baking soda
Cinnamon
All spice
Vegetable or canola oil
Unsalted butter (Room temp)
Large eggs (Room temp)
2 eight-ounce packages cream cheese (Cold)
3 ripe Bananas
Crushed pineapple (In 100% pineapple juice)
Pineapple juice (Not from the crushed pineapple)
Chopped pecans.
Vanilla extract
Butter extract
Banana extract
Pineapple extract
Confectioners’ sugar
Tools you’ll need.
Three 9-inch round cake pans
Baker’s joy non-stick baking spray
Disposable piping bag (With tip cut off)
Offset spatula
Preparation of ingredients
Dry ingredients (All-purpose flour mixture)
Step 1- Sift 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon all spice and 1/4 teaspoon salt into a medium-sized bowl. Stir all ingredients together and set aside.
Wet ingredients (Banana pineapple mixture)
Step 2- Mash 3 ripe bananas with a large sturdy spoon until creamy and smooth. Add 1 cup crushed pineapple (in its juices, do not drain before adding), 1/3 cup pineapple juice (this is not from the crushed pineapple), 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon banana extract, 1 teaspoon pineapple extract, and 1 teaspoon butter extract. Stir all ingredients together with a whisk until combined and set aside.
Cake batter
Note- You can also use a hand mixer or a large sturdy whisk to mix ingredients together.
Step 3- Add 4 large eggs (Room temp), 2 cups sugar and 1/2 cup brown sugar into stand mixer bowl. Mix on high speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. After this you won’t need your mixer for the cake part of the recipe but you can continue to use your mixer to mix all the ingredients together if you like.
Step 4- Add 1 cup vegetable or canola oil and stir all ingredients with a whisk or spatula until combined. If you are still using your mixer, mix the ingredients on a low speed for 15 to 20 seconds or until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 5- Add the (All-purpose flour mixture) and the (Banana pineapple mixture) into the batter 3 separate times. Stir all ingredients with a whisk or spatula each time until combined. If you are still using your mixer, mix the ingredients on a low speed each time for 15 to 20 seconds or until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 6- Add 1 cup chopped pecans. You can roast the pecans first before adding them into the batter. Fold the pecans into the batter using a spatula. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Baking your cake layers
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Step 7- Add prepared cake batter into your three 9-inch round cake pans as evenly as possible. You make sure the layers are even, you can weigh the pans on a scale. Weight times vary. Shake each baking pan to make batter more even.
Step 8- Place into a preheated 325-degree oven. Place two pans on the bottom rack and one pan one rack above the bottom rack. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes. At the 18-minute mark, Transfer the two baking pans that’s on the bottom rack and place them one rack above the bottom rack and transfer the one baking pan that was on the upper rack and place it onto the bottom rack. From there continue the baking time for 18 to 22 minutes.
Step 9- Remove baking pans from oven. Toothpick inserted into each cake layer should come out clean. Let cool for 3 to 4 hours before removing from pans.
Roasting the pecans
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Step 10- Add 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans into an 8 by 8-inch baking pan. Shake pan to make everything even. Place into a preheated 400-degree oven for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool completely.
Cream cheese frosting.
Step 11- Add 1 stick unsalted butter slightly softened and at room temperature, 4 ounces cream cheese (Cold), and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar into stand mixer bowl. Mix on a medium low speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 12- Add 1 stick unsalted butter slightly softened and at room temperature, 4 ounces cream cheese (Cold), and 2 cups confectioners’ sugar. Mix on a medium low speed for 1 to 2 minutes or until combined. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Step 13- Add 1 stick unsalted butter slightly softened and at room temperature, 4 ounces cream cheese (Cold), and 2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon butter extract and 1/8 teaspoon salt Mix on a medium low speed for 1 minute, then turn your mixer’s speed up to medium and mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl.
Cream cheese frosting troubleshoot.
If your cream cheese is runny, place mixing bowl with the cream cheese in it into your fridge or freezer for 15 to 20 minutes. Place mixing bowl back onto your mixer and mix on a medium low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. Cream cheese should be thick.
Decorating your cake
Note- Don’t decorate your cake if the cream cheese is runny or if your kitchen is higher than a temperature of 80 degrees F.
Step 14- Trim off the top portion (Domed section) of each of your cake layers.
Step 15- Spread a small amount of cream cheese frosting onto a cake serving pad. This will prevent the cake from moving and hold it in place. Add the first layer of cake on top and press down slightly to seal.
Step 16- Add 1 1/2 cups cream cheese frosting into a disposable piping bag with the tip cut off. Pipe the frosting onto the first layer of cake. Go all around the cake layer with the frosting. Spread around as evenly as possible with a spatula.
Step 17- Add second cake layer on top and press down slightly to seal. Again, 1 1/2 cups cream cheese frosting into a disposable piping bag with the tip cut off. Pipe the frosting onto the second layer of cake. Go all around the cake layer with the frosting. Spread around as evenly as possible with a spatula.
Step 18- Add the third cake layer on top and press down slightly to seal. Spread small Spoonfuls of cream cheese frosting on to the top and sides of the cake. Only spread a light coating. This is called the crumb coat. It prevents cake crumbs from appearing on the final layer of frosting for the cake. Place into fridge or freezer for 20 to 30 minutes.
Step 19- Add the rest of the cream cheese frosting on top of the cake. If you have frosting left over in the piping bag, add that on top of the cake as well. Spread frosting around the top of the cake using an offset spatula. As you spread the frosting on top of the cake, it will start to free fall from the edge of the cake. From there, spread the frosting around the sides of the cake as well.
Step 20- After you frost the cake, glide the offset spatula along the sides and top of your cake. This will make the everything smooth and even. You can also heat your off-set spatula until it’s warm then glide it along the top and sides of your cake.
Step 21- Place the cake with the cake serving pad underneath it onto a shallow pan or pizza pan. Take small handfuls of the roasted chopped pecans and carefully add it on to the sides of the cake. Go all around the cake with this. Brush the leftover pecans onto the pizza pan using a pastry brush. Add the roasted chopped pecans back into the same bowl they were in.
Step 22- Add roasted chopped pecans onto the top of the cake. Add them more toward the edge of the cake. Gently press chopped roasted pecans onto the sides and the top of the cake. Place into fridge or freezer for 1 to 2 hours before serving. This will allow the frosting to set.
Quick tips- Once you finish decorating the cake, do not serve it. Place it into the fridge or freezer for 1 to 2 hours before serving. This will allow the frosting to set. Keep it in your fridge at all times. Allow to thaw for 30 minutes before serving.
YouTube instructional video
