Classic Banana Split Cake Food

THE ULTIMATE BANANA SPLIT CAKE

Steps:

• For the frozen banana bites: Peel and slice the banana into 1-inch pieces. Heat up the chocolate and shortening for 30 seconds in the microwave in a bowl. Remove and stir. If any lumps remain, heat in 10-second increments until fully melted.
• Place the banana pieces on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Using two forks, place a banana piece on one fork and dip it into the chocolate. Make sure the banana piece is covered completely. Remove the banana piece from the chocolate and, using the other fork, gently move the banana piece onto the cookie sheet. When completed, place the chocolate-covered banana pieces in the freezer for at least 1 hour, preferably overnight.
• For the chocolate cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a 9-by-13-inch cake pan by rubbing with butter, sprinkling with flour and tapping out the extra.
• In a large bowl, combine the flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon, then set aside.
• In a small bowl, combine the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat well with a hand mixer. Slowly add the boiling water and mix. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and fold and stir until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a rack.
• For the whipped cream: Beat the cream and vanilla in a chilled nonreactive bowl with a whisk or an electric mixer just until the mixture holds a loose peak. (Lift the beater from the cream and look at the shape of the peak at the end of the whisk; it should hold a lazy curve.) Sift the confectioners' sugar over the cream and continue to beat just until it holds a soft peak. Take care not to overbeat the cream or it will be curdy. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 4 hours.
• To assemble: When the cake is cool, cut in half with a long serrated knife. Place one half of the chocolate cake on a serving platter or cake stand. Cover the cake with strawberry pie filling (about 1 cup; you will have some left over, which can be refrigerated). Set the other half of the cake on top. Try to match up the ends that have been cut when stacking.
• With a pastry bag fitted with a large open star decorating tip, pipe whipped cream mounds on top of the cake. Add sprinkles. Cut the frozen banana bites in half and set on top of the whipped cream. Serve immediately.

ALL-AMERICAN BANANA SPLIT

Steps:

• Place banana in a dessert dish; place scoops of ice cream between banana. Top with remaining ingredients. Serve immediately.

BANANA SPLIT 'CAKE'

Steps:

• Combine graham crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Freeze 10 min.
• Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer until blended. Spread carefully over crust; top with pineapple. Slice 4 bananas; arrange over pineapple.
• Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP; spread over banana layer in pan. Top with remaining COOL WHIP. Refrigerate 5 hours.
• Slice remaining bananas just before serving; arrange over dessert. Top with nuts.

BANANA SPLIT CAKE

Steps:

• To make the crust, mix the crushed graham crackers, granulated sugar, and melted butter until well-combined. Press the mixture into a 9x13-inch cake pan and freeze for 30 minutes.
• For the filling, beat together the softened cream cheese and powdered sugar at medium speed until smooth. Pour and spread over the chilled crust. Top the cream cheese filling with bananas and pineapple.
• Spread the whipped cream on top. Top with cherries and nuts. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Enjoy!

BANANA SPLIT CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare three 9-inch round cake pans by coating with cooking spray and dusting with flour.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, water, mashed banana and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Pour cake batter evenly into the prepared cake pans.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into centers of each cake comes out clean. Cool cakes on a wire rack until completely cooled. Turn cakes out. With a wide knife, slice off rounded tops of cakes until top surfaces are flat.
• Slice bananas and hull/slice strawberries; set aside. I always reserve three large strawberries, slice them into fans and set them aside for garnishing.
• Place first cake layer on serving plate/pedestal. Spread generously with chocolate frosting to 1/4-inch from the outside edge of the cake. Arrange a thin layer of sliced strawberries and then bananas atop the frosting. Place second cake layer atop these layers and repeat once more.
• Place third cake layer on top. Spread top of cake only (not down sides of cake) with a generous layer of strawberry frosting. Then arrange sliced strawberries in the pattern of your choice atop frosting. I like to make three strawberry fans and arrange them in the center of the cake with circles of overlapping strawberries radiating outward.
• Slice and serve with a scoop of the ice cream of your choice. Refrigerate until ready to serve, and store left-overs in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. If you plan to store longer, please note the strawberries and banana slices may soften or discolor.

GRAHAM CRACKER BANANA SPLIT CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare 13x9 baking pan.
• Melt one stick of butter and mix with 2 cups graham cracker crumbs. Press into bottom of pan for crust.
• Beat together 2 eggs, 2 cups powdered sugar, 2 sticks of butter(softened). Beat for 10 minutes.
• Pour mixture over graham cracker crust.
• Slice 3-4 bananas and place on top of mixture.
• Drain can of pineapple and spread evenly over top of bananas.
• Spread Cool Whip over pineapple.
• Garnish with chopped pecans and cherries if desired.
• Refrigerate for 5-6 or preferably overnite. Serve cool.

TRADITIONAL BANANA SPLIT

Steps:

• Line up ice cream scoops next to each other in an oval deep dish or a banana boat.
• Cut the ends of the banana off (about 1/4 inch) while still in the peel.
• Slice in half longways.
• Pop each half of the banana out of the peel onto each side of the ice cream row, pressing down and in a little so it'll stay put.
• Top the vanilla ice cream with the pineapple, the chocolate with the chocolate syrup and the strawberry with the strawberry sauce.
• Spoon the wet walnuts over all three scoops of ice cream.
• Top each scoop with some whipped cream and a cherry for each.
• Enjoy!

CLASSIC BANANA SPLIT CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour three 9-inch round cake pans. In large bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
• In large bowl, beat butter, shortening and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk. Continue beating on medium speed 1 minute, scraping bowl constantly.
• Divide batter among 3 bowls (about 2 1/2 cups each). Stir 2 tablespoons of the strawberry topping and 3 drops of the red food color into batter in one bowl. Stir 2 tablespoons of the pineapple topping and 3 drops of the yellow food color into batter in second bowl. In small bowl, mix cocoa and hot water; stir into batter in third bowl. Pour batters into separate pans.
• Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• In medium bowl, mix whipped topping and pudding mix until well blended. Place strawberry cake layer on serving plate; spread with remaining 2 tablespoons strawberry topping. Top with layer of banana slices; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with chocolate cake layer; spread with remaining 2 tablespoons pineapple topping. Top with layer of banana slices; spread with 3/4 cup frosting. Top with pineapple cake layer. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle with chocolate topping. Store in refrigerator.