LITTLE ROCK — Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
If the caramel pies and German chocolate cakes of late haven’t satisfied your sweet tooth, maybe this recipe from Barbara Sue Turner will. It combines bananas, pineapple, cream cheese, vanilla pudding and pecans.
Banana Split Cake 1 ½ cups graham cracker
crumbs (Honey Maid
recommended) 1 cup granulated sugar,
divided use◊cup butter, melted 2 (8-ounce) packages
cream cheese,
softened (Philadelphia
recommended) 1 (20-ounce) can crushed
pineapple, drained 6 medium bananas, divided
use 2 cups cold milk 2 (4-serving size) packages
instant vanilla pudding
(Jell-O recommended) 2 cups frozen whipped topping
(Cool Whip recommended) 1 cup chopped pecans Combine the graham cracker crumbs, ¼ cup of the sugar and the butter and mix well.
Press mixture into the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Freeze 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, beat cream cheese and the remaining ¾ cup sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread over graham cracker crust. Top with pineapple. Peel and slice 4 of the bananas and arrange over pineapple.
Pour the milk into a medium bowl. Add the pudding mixes and beat with a wire whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended.
Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping. Spread over bananas. Sprinkle with pecans.
Refrigerate 5 hours.
Peel and slice the remaining bananas and arrange over dessert.
Makes 24 servings.
And if that didn’t do it, this one for Trinity River Mud Cake with Floodtide Frosting surely will.
We’d never heard of the cake until we received this plea from Marie O’Donohue.
O’Donohue writes, “I have requested this recipe before but since then I have moved to a different apartment. Thus, it was misplaced or lost.”
“Please see if you can find the recipe again. I will nail it to the wall if I have to because it is such a tasty and wonderful cake.”
A little research revealed the recipe was in heavy circulation in the 1980s and is similar to Mississippi Mud Cake. Trinity River Mud Cake With Floodtide Frosting Cake: 4 eggs 2 cups granulated sugar 1 cup butter, melted 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour◊cup unsweetened cocoa
powder 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup coconut 1 cup pecans, chopped 1 small package miniature
marshmallows Frosting: ½ cup butter, melted 6 tablespoons milk◊cup cocoa 1 (16-ounce) box
confectioners’ sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup chopped pecans
Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
In a large bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Beat with mixer at high speed for 5 minutes.
In a separate bowl, combine melted butter, flour, cocoa, vanilla, coconut and pecans.
Add to egg and sugar mixture and mix well.
Transfer batter to prepared baking dish and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Remove from oven and spread marshmallows on top. Return to oven until marshmallows are melted.
To make the frosting:
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together until smooth and spreadable. Spread over cake.
Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock,Ark. 72203; e-mail:
[email protected] Please include a daytime phone number.
Food, Pages 39 on 02/20/2013