9-inch round cake pans (2 or 3, depending on how tall you want it)
Cooling rack
Offset spatula or butter knife for frosting
Ingredients
For the Cake
3cupsall-purpose flour
2cupswhite sugar
1teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonsalt
2cupsmashed ripe bananasabout 4 medium
1 ½cupscanola oilor vegetable/avocado oil
1cupchopped pecans or walnuts
18 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
3large eggs
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
1poundconfectioners’ sugar
18 oz package cream cheese, softened
¼poundbutter1 stick, softened
1teaspoonvanilla extract
Instructions
Prep Your Pans
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour two or three 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper if you can—it helps the cake come out clean.
Mix the Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.
Combine Wet Ingredients
In another bowl, mix the mashed bananas, oil, eggs, crushed pineapple, and chopped nuts until everything is blended.
Combine Wet and Dry
Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined—don’t overmix or your cake may turn out dense.
Bake
Divide the batter evenly between your prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Make the Frosting
Beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add vanilla, then slowly add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until fluffy.
Assemble and Frost
Once the cakes are fully cool, spread frosting between the layers and over the top and sides. I like to sprinkle extra chopped nuts on top for a little crunch.