It’s like a breath of Spring on a plate! This cake is great for a springtime brunch,                                                                                                and can easily be made in a Bundt pan, too.

PREHEAT OVEN TO 350º. 

3 C. Flour

2 C. Sugar

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Salt

1 tsp. Cinnamon

¼ tsp. Nutmeg

2 c. Mashed Bananas

1 C. Walnuts or Pecans – Chopped

1 Can (8 oz) Crushed Pineapple – drained
2 tsp. Vanilla Extract
½ C. Raspberry Jam

3 Eggs – room temperature

1 C. Vegetable Oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

Grease 3 9-inch cake pans, line the pans with parchment paper or wax paper and grease and lightly flour the paper too.

Combine flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl.  Add eggs and oil and stir until all the ingredients are well combined. Stir with a wooden spoon, do not beat!

Stir in bananas, nuts, pineapple, with liquid, and vanilla.  Mix all in very well.  Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are lightly browned and slightly puffed and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in the pans for about 10 minutes and then remove from the pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread jam on bottom layer making sure that you don’t get it too close to the edge or it will bleed into the frosting. Frost with cream cheese filling and refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours before serving.

Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz Cream Cheese – room temperature

½ C. Butter – softened
1 16 oz. Package Powdered Sugar

1-1 ½ tsp. Vanilla Extract

Beat cream cheese and butter with an electric mix until smooth.  Gradually add powdered sugar and continue beating on low speed until light and fluffy.  This should make about 3 cups.

BUNDT PAN – grease the pan, add the mixture, smooth the stop and bake at 350º for 45 -50 minutes or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and then remove from pan and continue cooling on a wire rack. Frost a totally cooled cake.

Note:  When I add nuts to a recipe, I like to bake them for about 8-10 minutes on a baking pan in an oven preheated to 325º. Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding to a recipe or they will just steam get mushy.  Baking gives the nuts a richer flavor.

BUON MANGIATA!