Tennessee Banana-Black Walnut Cake With Caramel Frosting

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening (such as Crisco)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup black walnut (regular English walnuts may be subbed)
• Frosting
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup heavy cream, plus more as necessary
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 (16 ounce) box confectioners' sugar
• 2 cups finely chopped black walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350u0b0F; grease and flour 2(9-inch) cake pans.
2. For the cake: In a medium bowl, stir together flour and baking soda; set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer, cream together shortening and sugar in a bowl until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes.
4. Add eggs 1 at a time, mixing well after each addition.
5. Mix in mashed bananas, buttermilk,and vanilla; add flour mixture and mix until just combined.
6. Stir in walnuts.
7. Pour into prepared pans, bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 35 minutes.
8. Cool in pans on a cooling rack, remove from pans and cool completely.
9. While cake is baking, prepare frosting.
10. Melt butter in a small saucepan.
11. Add brown sugar and 1/3 cup cream; cook over medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.
12. Remove from heat and add vanilla; transfer to a large bowl.
13. Using a hand mixer, beat in confectioners sugar a little at a time until smooth.
14. (If frosting is to thick, add 1 tablespoon heavy cream at a time until consistency is right).
15. Sandwich 2 layers of cake with frosting; frost outside of the cake.
16. Press chopped walnuts on sides of cake, if desired.

flour, baking soda, vegetable shortening, sugar, eggs, bananas, buttermilk, vanilla, black walnut, frosting, butter, brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, sugar, black walnuts

Taken from www.food.com/recipe/tennessee-banana-black-walnut-cake-with-caramel-frosting-113874 (may not work)