Banana Split Cake

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 2 cups banana mashed (5 medium)
• 0.5 cup buttermilk 
• 20 ounce pineapple crushed undrained canned
• 1 cup coconut or flaked
• 10 servings garnishes: coconut hot grated flaked toasted chopped
• 8 ounce cream cheese softened
• 3 large eggs 
• 3 cups flour all-purpose
• 16 ounce maraschino cherries drained
• 1 cup pecans chopped
• 1.5 cups powdered sugar 
• 0.3 teaspoon salt 
• 2 cups sugar 
• 1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract 
• 1 cup vegetable oil 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• paper towels
• oven
• wire rack
• hand mixer

Directions

1. Combine first 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir together eggs, oil, and buttermilk.
2. Add oil mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in banana and next 3 ingredients.
3. Drain pineapple, reserving 2 tablespoons liquid. Gently press pineapple and maraschino cherries between layers of paper towels. Chop cherries. Stir pineapple and cherries into banana mixture. Spoon into a greased and floured 10-inch tube pan.
4. Bake at 350 for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 to 15 minutes; remove from pan, and cool on wire rack.
5. Beat cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until blended. Stir in reserved pineapple juice.
6. Pour over cake; garnish, if desired.