Salted Caramel Coconut Banana Cake

INGREDIENTS:

2 ripe bananas

2 eggs

1/2 cup oil

3 Tbsp. coconut milk

1 1/ 2 cups light brown sugar

1 1/3 cups self-rising flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. coconut extract

8 oz. Mascarpone cheese

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. coconut

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/2 cup coconut

2 tsp. salt

1 banana, sliced

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan, then line the bottom with parchment paper.

Roughly mash the (2) bananas in a large bowl, then beat in the eggs. Stir in the oil and coconut milk. Break up any lumps in the brown sugar, then stir it into the banana mixture until well combine. Fold in the flour and the extracts.

Add the mixture to the prepared pan. Bake for 1 hour until done. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes; turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

To make the frosting, beat together the mascarpone cheese with powdered sugar, adding in lemon juice and extracts until smooth and creamy. Spread over the cooled cake.

Puree the coconut in a food processor or chop with a knife to make it very fine.

To make the salted caramel topping, melt the butter in a sauce pan and cook on medium heat until it melts. Add the brown sugar, stirring constantly. Add the coconut and salt; continue to stir and add the extracts. Allow to thicken and cool, spreading on top of the other frosting, leaving 1/2 inch around the outside.

Garnish the top of the cake with sliced banana; serve.