3 recipes to make banana split cake

Recipes that appear in Idea Alley have not been tested by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Today we have a trio of banana split cake recipes in response to a Springdale reader’s request via voice mail.

Two are from our archives and one is from the Betty Crocker website.

Banana Split Cake

Crust:

2 cups crushed graham crackers

½ cup margarine, melted

1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar

Topping:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar

2 eggs (see note)

1 stick butter OR margarine, softened

5 bananas, peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained

1 quart fresh strawberries, stems removed, halved

1 (16-ounce) large carton whipped topping, such as Cool Whip

Crushed walnuts

Maraschino cherries for garnish

To make the crust:

Combine cracker crumbs, melted margarine and confectioners’ sugar thoroughly and press into bottom of 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Chill in freezer at least 15 minutes.

To make the topping: In the medium bowl of an electric mixer, combine confectioners’ sugar, eggs and softened butter; beat at medium speed for 20 minutes. (This step is important, so don’t try to save time by omitting it.) Spread evenly over chilled crust.

Place bananas, cut-side down, evenly on top of sugar and egg mixture; spoon crushed pineapple evenly over top of bananas.

Distribute strawberries over pineapple. Spread whipped topping evenly all over. Sprinkle with walnuts and refrigerate at least 3 hours or overnight before serving. Garnish with maraschino cherries.

Note: This recipe contains uncooked eggs, which sometimes contain salmonella bacteria that can cause serious illness. To reduce the risk of food-borne illness associated with uncooked eggs, use in-shell pasteurized eggs such as Safest Choice.

Betty Crocker Banana Split Cake

1 box Betty Crocker Super Moist white cake mix PLUS water, vegetable oil and whole eggs as listed on cake mix box

1 cup mashed ripe banana

¾ cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

1 (1-pound) container Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy chocolate frosting

Sliced bananas, for serving

Whipped topping, for serving

Maraschino cherries, for serving

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottom only of 13-by-9 inch pan.

In a large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs and mashed bananas on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool 15 minutes.

In small microwavable bowl, microwave frosting uncovered on high 20 seconds; stir and microwave 5 to 10 seconds more, if necessary. Stir thoroughly or until very soft and smooth; spread evenly over cake. If desired, serve garnished with banana slices, whipped topping and cherries if desired. Store loosely covered.

Banana Split Cake

1½ cups graham cracker crumbs (Honey Maid recommended)

1 cup granulated sugar, divided use

1/3 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), divided use

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.

Serve garnished with the remaining whipped topping.

Makes 24 servings.

REQUESTS

Cheese dip like that served at Wes Hall’s Minute Man burger restaurant for Carol S. Felton. “It was thin and didn’t have tomatoes,” Felton writes.

Herbs and spices salad dressing like that served at Way Out Willie’s for Marge Brokate.

Send recipe requests, contributions and culinary questions to Kelly Brant, Idea Alley, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, P.O. Box 2221, Little Rock, Ark. 72203; email: kbrant@arkansasonline.com Please include a daytime phone number.