Servings: 8 to 12

Cake: subheading: Cake:
3 cups all-purpose Flour 3 cups all-purpose Flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Soda 1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
1/2 teaspoon Salt ½ teaspoon Salt
4 large very ripe Bananas, mashed* 4 large very ripe Bananas, mashed*
4 Tablespoons fresh Orange juice plus zest of 1 Orange 4 Tablespoons fresh Orange juice plus zest of 1 Orange
3/4 cup unsalted Butter, softened ¾ cup unsalted Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups Brown sugar (can use white, too and cake will be paler in color) 1 ½ cups Brown sugar (can use white, too and cake will be paler in color)
3 large Eggs 3 large Eggs
2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk 1 ½ cups Buttermilk
1 cup Pecans, chopped 1 cup Pecans, chopped
 
* You can use a food processor to mash the bananas. note: You can use a food processor to mash the bananas.
* You  can also use regular white sugar (cake is slightly darker if brown sugar is used). note: You  can also use regular white sugar (cake is slightly darker if brown sugar is used).
 
For the frosting: subheading: For the frosting:
1/2 cup unsalted Butter, softened ½ cup unsalted Butter, softened
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened 1 (8oz) package cream cheese, softened
3 1/2 cups Icing Sugar 3 ½ cups Icing Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Preheat the oven to 300 F (yes, that’s the right temperature).
Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish. Set aside.
***If you are in a hurry you can also preheat to 325 F.
Whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
In a separate bowl, mix the mashed bananas with the orange juice and zest. Set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Beat the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla extract.
Stir in the banana-orange mixture.
On low speed, alternately add the flour and the buttermilk to the mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
Gently fold in the nuts.
Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish and bake in the preheated oven (300 F) for about 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. If baking at 325 F, check cake around 45 to 50 minutes to see if it’s done. Oven heating varies so please adjust baking time accordingly.
For the frosting: subheading: For the frosting:
Using an electric mixer, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
On low speed, add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and continue until the mixture is smooth and creamy.
Beat in the Vanilla extract.
Spread evenly on top of the cooled cake.
Place 1 or 2 whole pecans on each slice.