Banana Layer Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream Filling, Sour Cream Frosting, and Salty Roasted Pecans

Whew.  That title is quite the mouthful.  Kind of like this cake.  There is a lot going on here.  But every bit of it is delicious and each part goes so well together.

I made this for B for his birthday last month.  He wanted banana cake.  I took his request and ran.  This one was definitely a winner.  The salty pecans and the sour cream frosting balance out the rich sweetness of the cake and the caramel filling.  This takes a lot of work to make, but it is worth it.  

Make sure you have plenty of people to share this with.

Banana Layer Cake

Makes 3 8-inch layers

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup puréed/mashed bananas (about 3-4 bananas)

1/4 cup buttermilk

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 3 8-inch pans.

2.  In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  Mix buttermilk and banana together in a separate small bowl.  Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla and continue to mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds more.

4.  Add 1/3 flour mixture to butter and bet until just incorporated.  Add 1/2 milk mixture and mix until just barely mixed.  Add 1/2 remaining flour and again beat until just mixed.  Add remaining milk, mix until just barely incorporated, then add the rest of the four and mix until just barely mixed.

5.  Divide batter between the 3 pans.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pans then loosen edges with a knife before turning cakes out.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to assemble.  Can be made up to 1 day ahead of time.

Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream

Makes ~ 3 cups

1/2 cup caramel sauce (I used this recipe, you can make your own or buy it)

3 egg whites

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 tsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

3/4 lb butter, cut into tablespoon sized chunks

1.  Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed pan.  Put egg whites in clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk.  Begin beating egg whites on medium speed.  While eggs are whipping, turn heat on sugar mixture to medium and cook without stirring, heating to 240 degrees.  Once the sugar reaches 240, your egg whites should be in stiff peaks, if it is taking longer for the sugar to heat, slow the mixer down so the egg whites don't break.  This should take about 6-8 minutes.

2.  When the sugar reaches 240, remove from heat.  Turn the mixer to medium-high and pour the sugar syrup very slowly in a thin stream down the side of the bowl.  Continue to mix until egg whites are cool/room temperature.  About 10 minutes.

3.  Lower the speed to medium low and begin adding the butter, 1 TB at a time, making sure each piece in fully incorporated before adding the next. If your frosting breaks apart or curdles, don't worry, just keep mixing and adding butter, it will come together and form a fluffy creamy frosting.  When all the butter has been added and the frosting has turned smooth and fluffy, slowly add the caramel sauce in a thin stream.  Allow to mix for 1 more minute.  Keep at room temp until ready to use.  Or you can make this up to 1 week ahead of time and store in the fridge.  Allow to come to room temp and whip for 2-3 minutes prior to using. 

Sour Cream Frosting

Makes ~3 cups

1 cup butter, at room temp

4 oz sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 - 2 lbs powdered sugar

2 TB milk

1.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar, and continue to beat on medium speed until frosting is smooth and creamy.  Beat in milk, if needed, to make frosting at desired consistency.  Can be made up to 1 week ahead of time.  Store in fridge.  Allow to come to room temp before using, whipping if needed.

Salty Roasted Pecans

1 cup crushed pecans

2 TB melted butter

1 tsp salt

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Toss pecans with butter and salt to coat, then spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Cook until oven until toasted and brown, about 10 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Can be made up to 1 week ahead.  Store at room temp in an air tight container.

Assembly:

1.  Cut tops of each cake layer to level.  Place one layer cut-side up on a cake plate or board.  Spread with ~1 cup caramel frosting.  Top with another layer of cake and then another ~1 cup caramel frosting.  Top with last layer of cake, cut-side down, and gently press to adhere.  Cover with sour cream frosting.  Gently press roasted pecans into sides of the cake to cover.  Chill until ready to serve.

Whew.  That title is quite the mouthful.  Kind of like this cake.  There is a lot going on here.  But every bit of it is delicious and each part goes so well together.

I made this for B for his birthday last month.  He wanted banana cake.  I took his request and ran.  This one was definitely a winner.  The salty pecans and the sour cream frosting balance out the rich sweetness of the cake and the caramel filling.  This takes a lot of work to make, but it is worth it.  

Make sure you have plenty of people to share this with.

Banana Layer Cake

Makes 3 8-inch layers

2 1/2 cups cake flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temp

1 1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, at room temp

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup puréed/mashed bananas (about 3-4 bananas)

1/4 cup buttermilk

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Grease and flour 3 8-inch pans.

2.  In a medium size bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Set aside.  Mix buttermilk and banana together in a separate small bowl.  Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer until light and creamy, about 5 minutes.  Beat in the eggs one at a time.  Add vanilla and continue to mix until incorporated, about 30 seconds more.

4.  Add 1/3 flour mixture to butter and bet until just incorporated.  Add 1/2 milk mixture and mix until just barely mixed.  Add 1/2 remaining flour and again beat until just mixed.  Add remaining milk, mix until just barely incorporated, then add the rest of the four and mix until just barely mixed.

5.  Divide batter between the 3 pans.  Bake until a toothpick comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes.  Allow to cool in the pans then loosen edges with a knife before turning cakes out.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap until ready to assemble.  Can be made up to 1 day ahead of time.

Salted Caramel Italian Meringue Buttercream

Makes ~ 3 cups

1/2 cup caramel sauce (I used this recipe, you can make your own or buy it)

3 egg whites

1/4 cup water

1 cup sugar

1 tsp light corn syrup

1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste)

3/4 lb butter, cut into tablespoon sized chunks

1.  Combine the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a heavy-bottomed pan.  Put egg whites in clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk.  Begin beating egg whites on medium speed.  While eggs are whipping, turn heat on sugar mixture to medium and cook without stirring, heating to 240 degrees.  Once the sugar reaches 240, your egg whites should be in stiff peaks, if it is taking longer for the sugar to heat, slow the mixer down so the egg whites don't break.  This should take about 6-8 minutes.

2.  When the sugar reaches 240, remove from heat.  Turn the mixer to medium-high and pour the sugar syrup very slowly in a thin stream down the side of the bowl.  Continue to mix until egg whites are cool/room temperature.  About 10 minutes.

3.  Lower the speed to medium low and begin adding the butter, 1 TB at a time, making sure each piece in fully incorporated before adding the next. If your frosting breaks apart or curdles, don't worry, just keep mixing and adding butter, it will come together and form a fluffy creamy frosting.  When all the butter has been added and the frosting has turned smooth and fluffy, slowly add the caramel sauce in a thin stream.  Allow to mix for 1 more minute.  Keep at room temp until ready to use.  Or you can make this up to 1 week ahead of time and store in the fridge.  Allow to come to room temp and whip for 2-3 minutes prior to using. 

Sour Cream Frosting

Makes ~3 cups

1 cup butter, at room temp

4 oz sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 - 2 lbs powdered sugar

2 TB milk

1.  In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, cream the butter, sour cream, and vanilla until smooth.  Add the powdered sugar, and continue to beat on medium speed until frosting is smooth and creamy.  Beat in milk, if needed, to make frosting at desired consistency.  Can be made up to 1 week ahead of time.  Store in fridge.  Allow to come to room temp before using, whipping if needed.

Salty Roasted Pecans

1 cup crushed pecans

2 TB melted butter

1 tsp salt

1.  Heat oven to 350.  Toss pecans with butter and salt to coat, then spread in an even layer on a baking sheet.  Cook until oven until toasted and brown, about 10 minutes.  Allow to cool to room temperature.  Can be made up to 1 week ahead.  Store at room temp in an air tight container.

Assembly:

1.  Cut tops of each cake layer to level.  Place one layer cut-side up on a cake plate or board.  Spread with ~1 cup caramel frosting.  Top with another layer of cake and then another ~1 cup caramel frosting.  Top with last layer of cake, cut-side down, and gently press to adhere.  Cover with sour cream frosting.  Gently press roasted pecans into sides of the cake to cover.  Chill until ready to serve.