Banana Nut Cake

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 3 mashed bananas
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Here is yet another great way to use up those over-ripe bananas. We love this simple cake for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Tip – If you don’t want or can’t use up your over-ripe bananas right away, peel them, then put them in a small freezer or zip-loc bag and mush them up in the bag. Throw them in the freezer and just take them out and thaw them when you’re  ready to use them. – Thanks to AlmostaCowgirl for this great tip.

Get out a large bowl and combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the shortening and 1/3 cup of the buttermilk. Beat for 2 minutes. Because this is quite a bit of dough, I like to use my hand mixer or kitchen aid for this.  Add the eggs and the remaining 1/3 cup of buttermilk. Beat for 2 more minutes. Fold in 2/3 cup finely chopped nuts. Pour into two 9-inch cake pans that have been greased and floured (or use a nonstick spray). Bake your cakes at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. Let them cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Frosting Ideas:
A plain vanilla frosting or a butter cream go really well with this cake. I use some frosting or banana slices as a filling.

Make up some instant vanilla, banana or chocolate pudding and use it as a filling. I usually just dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar when I do this.

You can also slice the individual cakes and just serve them with a little whipped cream, whipped topping or ice cream on the side. For breakfast I like to serve this cake plain with a side of sliced bananas and a cup of vanilla yogurt.