Best-Ever Banana Cake

 The is not a banana-bread with frosting - It is a moist and delicious cake that your whole family and guests will thoroughly enjoy!
 
Ingredients:

Cake:

- 3/4 cup margarine, softened

- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup apple juice or orange juice
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 cup shredded coconut

 

Creamy frosting:

 - 1 egg yolk** (see notes below)
- 1/2 cup margarine, softened
- 1/2 tsp. coconut extract
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2 cups confectionary sugar
 
 
 
Directions:

Cake:
 
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease and flour one 9-13-inch or two 9-inch cake pans.
In a large mixer bowl, cream margarine and sugar.  Add eggs once at a time, beating after each addition until light and fluffy.  Add mashed bananas and beat 2 minutes, then add baking soda, baking powder, and vanilla.  Add flour alternately with liquid, beginning and ending with flour.  Fold in pecans and coconut and mix well.
Pour into greased and floured pan or pans.  Bake for 25 to 30 minutes for 9-inch cake pans, or 1 hour for 9-13-inch cake pan. Cool and frost, if desired.
 
Creamy frosting:
 
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and beat until light fluffy.
In order to forst and fill two-layer cake, frosting recipe should be doubled.
 
**For safety, frostings containing raw eggs should be heated to kill any bacteria.
Alternatively, substitute a pasteurized egg yolk. Pasteurized eggs are readily available in most markets where "regular" eggs are sold.