Banana Walnut Cake with Cream Cheese Icing and Bourbon Caramel Sauce

This really started out being banana bread.  When I poured the batter into my little mini loaf pans I had a bunch left over.  I poured the rest into one of my little 6 inch cake pans and decided to make it into a cake. The bourbon caramel sauce is pretty darn good if I do say so myself.  And I do.

For the cake:

• 3 overripe bananas, mashed
• 3 eggs
• 1 C. sugar
• 1 C. brown sugar
• 1 1/2 C. safflower oil
• 2 t. vanilla
• 3 C. flour
• 2 t. baking powder
• 1/2 C. buttermilk
• 1 C. walnuts, chopped

For the icing:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 C. powdered sugar
• 2-3 T. milk

For the caramel:

• 1/2 C. sugar
• 1/2 C. heavy cream
• 1 T. bourbon

To make the cake, mix the bananas, eggs, sugars, oil, and vanilla until well combined.  Add the flour, baking powder, and buttermilk and mix again, until just incorporated.  Fold in the walnuts.  You will have enough batter for two cakes, or one loaf pan of banana bread and one six inch cake.  You could also make three mini loaves of banana bread and one cake.  Obviously you have made more batter than you need for one 6 inch cake.  Sorry, I was never good at math.  If you can figure out how to make one-third this much batter, then go for it!   Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, then test with a toothpick.  The cake will be golden brown and smell like heaven.  Remove the cake to a cooling rack and wait for it too cool for at least ten minutes before removing it from the pan.  When the cake is cool, slice it into two layers.

To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese until smooth, add the powdered sugar and milk and beat until smooth and fluffy.  You may need to add a bit more milk to make it spreading consistency.  Set aside until the cake is cool.

To make the caramel, heat the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat.  Swirl the pan to dissolve the sugar as it begins to brown.  When it turns a golden amber color, remove from heat and add the cream.  Stir to combine until smooth.  You may need to put the pan back on the heat for a moment if the caramel starts to clump.  Just heat and stir until it’s nice and smooth.  Stir in the bourbon and cool until ready to use.

To assemble the cake, place one layer of the cake on a serving dish.  Top with half of the cream cheese icing and drizzle half of the cooled caramel over it.  Top with the other half of the cake, flat side up.  Frost with the remaining icing and drizzle the rest of the caramel over it.  Sprinkle a few walnuts on top if desired.  Chill until ready to serve.

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