Banana Cream Cake

Cooking Instructions

Position racks to divide oven in thirds. Heat to 350°F. Coat three 9-in. round cake pans with cooking spray. Line bottoms with wax paper.

Put mashed bananas, sour cream and brown sugar in a large bowl and beat with mixer on low speed until sugar dissolves. Add cake mix, eggs and oil; beat 2 minutes on medium speed. Stir in pecans. Spread in prepared pans.

Stagger pans on oven racks and bake 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes. Invert cakes on rack, remove paper and let cool completely.

Glaze: Heat 1⁄3 cup cream in a small saucepan (or bowl in microwave) just until steaming hot. Remove from heat, add chocolate; let stand 4 minutes. Stir until blended and smooth.

Mix reserved 1 Tbsp pudding and the 2 tsp cream. Spoon into a small ziptop bag; seal bag.

Filling: Thinly slice bananas. Put 1 cake layer on serving plate. Top with a sliced banana. Gently spread with half the pudding (about 1 cup). Top with another cake layer, cover with remaining banana and pudding. Put third cake layer in place.

Pour Glaze in the middle of the top layer; spread carefully to edges. Cut tip off corner of ziptop bag. Pipe lines about 1⁄2 in. apart on glaze. Draw a toothpick through lines.

How long will it keep? Cake layers: refrigerator, 2 days; freezer, 3 months.

Fill and glaze shortly before serving.