Mama's Southern Coconut Cake!

  

Coconut cake is just sort of a tradition in the south at holiday dinners and special occasions.  My mother makes one of the best coconut cakes you will ever taste.   She has been making this cake for years.  I am not sure how many years, but for a long time.  She used to make these and sell them during the holiday season.  I can remember our dining room table being just full of finished coconut cakes waiting in their boxes to be picked up.   

She still makes one for special friends now and then, but she is basically out of the baking and catering business and she says she wants to keep it that way...lol.  I don't blame her one bit, she has worked hard all of her life.

Coconut cake is a big favorite in my husband's family.  I joke that my husband is the connoisseur of coconut cakes.  You could line up 10 coconut cakes and blindfold him and give him a taste test and he could tell you which cake was made by my mother and what was not quite as good about all of the others. 

 Not too long ago, I went to a dinner that he didn't attend and I brought him a big piece of coconut cake home from it.  As soon as he took a bite  he said, "Your mother didn't make this, did she?"   Actually, it looked pretty much like her coconut cake so I was surprised.  I asked how he knew.  He said it was the difference in the icing and the cake itself was not as moist.   Then he went on to say, "It's good, just not as good as your mother's." 

People always ask for the recipe for this cake and they are always surprised it starts with a cake mix, because it tastes and looks like a from scratch cake. However, the cake mix is dressed up a bit with a few family secrets.


 Here is what you will need for this cake:

1   15.25 butter cake mix (Be sure to get the full size cake mix and not the reduced size some companies are now marketing)

3 large eggs

1 cup Sprite or 7 Up

1 stick of butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla

Icing

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup white corn syrup

3 egg whites

1 tsp. baking powder

2 cups shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix all of the cake ingredients together with a wire whisk until well blended. Don't use an electric mixer for this.  Mama says it makes a cake dry when you beat the batter up too long. Butter and flour 2 8 inch round cake pans.  You  can use 2  9 inch cake pans, but the cake won't be as high. Divide cake batter between pans. 

Place in oven and bake for 25 minutes.

While the cakes cool, make the icing.

Place the sugar, water, and corn syrup in a sauce pan on medium heat.  Using a candy thermometer cook to the soft ball stage or 240 degrees, stirring constantly.  The mixture should become almost clear.   You can also do this in the microwave to make this step easier.  Cook on high for 4 minutes, remove and stir well and then cook for about 3 more minutes on high.  This could vary by a minute or two depending on the power of your microwave. It still needs to reach the soft ball stage.  Now you will need your electric mixer for the this next step and I love my KitchenAid Mixer  for recipes like this! 

  With an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the baking powder until it reaches the soft peak stage. 

 Slowly pour in the syrup and keep mixing until the icing stands in peaks.  This takes some time to accomplish so don't give up on it. Just keep beating it and eventually the peaks will form.

Place one of the cake layers on a pretty cake plate.

Frost the top of the first layer and sprinkle with 1/2 cup coconut

 Place the other layer on top of the first and frost the entire cake.

Sprinkle the rest of the coconut over the top and sides of the cake.

Mama's Southern Coconut Cake!



Buttons and Bows Cherry Pound Cake!

 

 

 

This cake is so cute and is just perfect for Easter with it's pretty pastel colors.  It would also be great for a shower or a girly girl birthday celebration.   Even though it looks time consuming, it's really very easy to decorate.  Anyone can do it.  

 

The cake itself is absolutely delicious.  It reminds me a lot of a cherry flavored Kentucky Butter Cake with cream cheese frosting. If you are a pound cake lover, this will be a cake you will love!  This recipe was adapted from a recipe that was printed way back in 1998 in a Southern Living 20th Anniversary edition cookbook.    Here is what you will need:

 

1 cup butter, softened

1/ 2 cup shortening

3 cups sugar

6 large eggs

1 (10 oz.) jar of maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

3  3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup milk

 

Cream Cheese Frosting

1  (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup butter, softened

1  (16 oz.) box of powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Garnishes:  1 pkg. melt-away mints, bow, silk flower

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Beat butter and shortening with an electric mixer until it's creamy.  Add in sugar and beat 5 to 7 minutes.  Add the eggs one at a time and continue beating.  Stir in the almond flavoring, vanilla flavoring, and the cherries.

 

Combine the flour and salt.  Add to the butter mixture alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour.   Mix after each addition, just enough to blend the ingredients. 

 

Pour the mixture into a well greased and floured tube pan.  You can use the nonstick spray that has flour in it also. 

 

Bake in a 300 degree oven for 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours.   A pick inserted in the center should come out clean.  Ovens vary in temperature, but from my experience this cake usually takes the full 2 hours.  Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan.  Allow to cool completely before frosting.

 

To make the cream cheese frosting, beat cream cheese and butter until it's creamy.  Gradually add the sugar and vanilla beating until it's light and fluffy. 

 

 

 

After the cake is frosted, place the melt-away mints evenly dotting it all over top and sides.   We used the Smooth and Melty Petite Mints by the Guittard Chocolate Company.   Most candy sections in the stores carry them.   Add a pretty bow that coordinates with the colors of the mints and a silk flower to the center.  That's it!  Wasn't that easy?   

 

Buttons and Bows Cherry Pound Cake!

 

 





Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake!

I love anything with blueberries and of course, my favorite ingredient, cream cheese, so this recipe was right up my alley!!!   I used fresh blueberries, but you could use frozen also!!!  This is the perfect breakfast or brunch cake or a great coffee cake!!!     This is a super moist pound cake!!!  It's great served plain or top it with a scoop of ice cream!!!

Here is what you will need:

8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened to room temperature

1//2 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 pkg. yellow cake mix

1  (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix

2 cups fresh blueberries (could use frozen)

4 large eggs

3 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray a 9 inch Bundt pan with nonstick baking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and oil with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.   Add in cake mix, instant pudding mix, eggs and vanilla.  Beat on medium until well blended.  Fold in the blueberries. 

Pour into the prepared pan and place in preheated oven.   Bake for 60 minutes or until a pick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  remove from oven and cool in the pan for 20 minutes.  

Cool completely and sprinkle confectioner's sugar over the top!!!

Slice and serve!!!  It's yummy!!!  

Strawberry Banana Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting!

This "Strawberry Banana Pound Cake"  is a really moist cake that combines two very popular flavors.  Add a cream cheese glaze and all I can say is wow!  If you have strawberry lovers you bake for, they are going to love this cake.  It's also not all that hard to make. 


 Here is what you need:

1 yellow cake mix (15. 25 oz.)
1 3 oz. box of strawberry gelatin (Jello)
3/4 cup vegetable or canola oil
4 large eggs
1/3 cup Sprite or 7Up (can use water)
1  1/2 cups chopped pecans, divided
3 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. lemon flavoring (optional)
1 cup very ripe bananas, diced small (about 2 bananas)
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced small and sweetened with 2 Tbs. sugar and 1 Tbs. water

Cream Cheese Glaze
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 Tbs. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar
2 Tbs. milk or half and half


Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large mixing bowl combine the cake mix, Jello, eggs, oil, Sprite, vanilla flavoring, and lemon flavoring.  Toss 1 cup of the chopped nuts with the 3 Tbs. flour.  Fold the nuts, strawberries and bananas into the cake mixture until well combined.

Pour mixture into a 12 cup Bundt pan that has been sprayed liberally with nonstick baking spray or greased and floured.  Shake the pan around on a level surface to be sure the batter is evenly distributed.  Place in the oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until the pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Do not over bake.   Remove from oven and allow to sit for about 20 minutes before turning it onto a cake plate. 

While it cools, prepare the cream cheese glaze.  Beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar.  Add the milk or cream and beat until smooth.

When it has cooled completely pour the cream cheese glaze over all and sprinkle with the other 1/ 2 cups of chopped pecans.

Strawberry Banana Pound Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze!



Kentucky Butter Cake!

  

The Kentucky Butter Cake is pretty much just what the name says it is.  It's a really good buttery pound cake that gets kicked up another notch, as we in Kentucky are known for doing, by adding a buttery glaze to it.

Now I know most areas have pound cakes of various types...sour cream, cream cheese, but in Kentucky we don't mess around, we just go big on the butter and sugar.

This isn't a complicated cake or a flamboyantly beautiful cake.  It's not stacked to the ceiling or frosted with a really fantastic 7 minute frosting that only the best cooks even attempt. However, it's a Kentucky gem.

I have been meaning to make this cake for some time now, well ever since I started this blog, nine months ago, but it just kept getting pushed to the back burner for some reason.  Then the other day, a sweet lady wrote to me and said she was searching for a certain type of butter cake that she wanted to make for a friend of hers who was ill.

 His grandmother used to make it for him years ago. She said she had tried with no success several times and she just could not figure out what he wanted.

 So I asked her to ask him what type of pan it was baked in and she said he pulled out her Bundt pan.   Hmmm...I thought I might know the answer, so I asked her where he was from or actually where grandmother was from, and she said Central Kentucky.

That did it!  I knew he was talking about the Kentucky butter cake.  So, I decided I needed to make this and post it so this gentleman could get his Kentucky butter cake when he gets out of the hospital this time.   I hope he enjoys it!

 Here is what you will need for this cake:

1 cup butter, softened (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. butter flavoring (optional) I used Watkins

Glaze
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
1 Tablespoon vanilla
1 tsp. butter flavoring (optional)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in buttermilk, flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, vanilla, and butter flavoring if you are using it.  Mix well, but don't over mix. 

Pour into a Bundt pan or a tube pan that has been liberally sprayed with nonstick spray for baking that contains flour or butter and flour the pan.  Do this very well cover all or this cake might stick.

Place in the oven for 60-65 minutes.  A pick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

To make the glaze, melt the butter with the sugar and water over low heat just until the butter is melted and the sugar is dissolved.  Add the vanilla and the butter flavoring. 

With a wooden skewer or a fork with large tines, poke holes in the cake while it's still in the pan. Slowly pour the warm glaze over the cake.  It will gradually settle into the cake completely.  Let the cake sit in the pan and cool.  When it's cool, run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan just to loosen it.  Do the center of the pan also. 

Gently turn the cake out onto a cake plate.

Kentucky Butter Cake!  It's just wonderful!!!



Blackberry Wine Cake!

  

This is  a cake I have had several people request, but it's not a cake I was familiar with.  It sounded really good though, so I decided to try it.  I must say it was easy enough to make and the only thing I was worried about was getting it out of the pan without sticking.   However, it came out with no problem at all. I did say a little prayer before I flipped it though.   This is one cake that just gets moister as time goes by and that is always a good thing and it's got a really delicious flavor.  This is what you will need:

1 cup chopped pecans

white cake mix (be sure to get the full 18 oz. size)

3 oz. blackberry gelatin (if you can't find blackberry, you can use black cherry, because blackberry is hard to find sometimes)

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup blackberry wine

1 tsp. vanilla

Glaze

1 stick butter

3/4 cup blackberry wine

1 tsp. vanilla

3 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Spray a 10 inch Bundt pan well with nonstick baking spray, preferably the kind that has flour in it.  Be sure to spray the stem of the pan also.

Sprinkle the chopped nuts in the pan evenly.

Combine the cake mix, gelatin, oil eggs, wine and vanilla.  Mix until it is well combined. Pour into the Bunt pan and shift it around so that it is evenly distributed. 

Place in the preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. 

To make the glaze, combine the butter, 3/4 cup wine, and 1 cup of the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a boil, stirring frequently.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  

 With a wooden skewer or a fork, poke holes in the cake while it's still in the pan and right out of the oven.  Pour 1/2 of the glaze over the cake while it's still in the pan.  Allow the cake to sit and absorb the liquid for about an hour.  Turn the cake onto your cake plate.  Use a cake plate with some room around the edges, because the glaze will run down around the cake to some extent.

 Add the rest of the sugar to the remainder of the glaze and let it stand and thicken enough to pour over the cake once it is turned out onto a plate and has cooled completely.  The glaze will thicken as it cools down, just don't get it too thick to pour, but make sure it's not too thin either or it will run off the cake.   Sprinkle with the cup of chopped pecans!











Sweet Potato Cake!

This is undoubtedly one of the best cakes you will ever make or eat!  Ok, I realize this might be subjective and just my opinion, but as you have probably noticed we make and therefore have to eat a lot of cake.  Therefore, I do consider myself a bit of an expert on what is a good cake...lol.  

The recipe for this cake is a very old family recipe that has been handed down through the decades.  It was always one of my mother's favorite cakes through the years and was usually brought to family reunions and special dinners and such.

This is such a moist and delicious tasting cake and it just gets better as it sits and soaks in that yummy icing.  You do not have to be a sweet potato eater to like this cake either.  My husband hates sweet potatoes and he loves this cake.

So have I enticed you enough to try this?  I hope so!  This is the perfect cake for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but why wait until then?  Make one now and give it a test run!   This is what you will need and my only advice is to follow the directions exactly for the best results:

1 1/2 cups oil

2 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs, separated (reserve the whites)

4 Tbs. boiling water

2  1/2 cups all purpose flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. vanilla

1  1/2 cups grated raw sweet potatoes that have been peeled

Frosting

1 cup evaporated milk

1/2 cup butter ( 1 stick)

1 cup sugar

3 egg yolks

1 tsp. vanilla

1  1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 cup pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a mixing bowl mix the oil and sugar with an electric mixer unit smooth.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating after each addition. 

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg together.   Add the boiling water and mix. Add the flour mixture to the oil and egg mixture and mix. Add in the vanilla.  Fold in the grated sweet potatoes.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff and form peaks.  Gently fold the egg whites into the batter until blended.

Prepare three 9" cake pans by lining the bottoms with parchment paper or wax paper and spraying them well with nonstick baking spray.  The type that contains flour works best for this.  Take my advice and do not skip this step!  This cake is very moist and can stick or the layers can break if you do not line your pans.  Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes.  A pick inserted in the center should come out clean. 

Remove from oven and allow to cool before turning onto a cake plate.

Prepare frosting when the cakes have cooled by combining the evaporated milk, sugar, butter, egg yolks and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for about 12 minutes, stirring constantly or until the mixture has thickened. 

Remove from heat and add coconut.  Beat until cool and thick and spreading consistency. 

Stack cake layers on a cake plate and frost between layers, top and sides.   Garnish the top with the nuts.   This frosting sort of runs down the sides of the cake and you can spread it around the sides.  The consistency will be similar to the frosting you use on a German Chocolate cake.

 It's a beautiful thing! Sorry, but I just love this cake! 

  



Italian Cream Cake...a Southern Favorite!

Italian Cream Cake is a wonderfully moist cake that doesn't really seem to have originated in Italy, but in the South. I have no idea why it's called "Italian Cream Cake".  I have researched it and can't seem to find anyone who does know. 

When I think of Italian Cream Cake, I think of my late mother in law, who made one every year during the holidays, sometimes two, one for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.   She made one of the best I have ever had the pleasure of eating.  Unfortunately, I didn't get her recipe, but this recipe comes very close to it according to what my husband and I remember.

 Here is what you will need for this decadent cake:

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
5 egg yolks
5 egg whites, stiffly beaten
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
1  1/2 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped pecans

Frosting
1  8oz. package cream cheese, softened
4 Tbs. butter, softened
1 lb. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (for garnish on the top of cake)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

With an electric mix beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter, shortening and sugar together.  Add the eggs yolks and mix well.  Mix the flour, baking soda and salt.   Add the buttermilk and flour alternately to the mixture and blend, don't over beat this, but make sure it is well incorporated.  Add the vanilla, nuts and coconut. 

Fold in the beaten egg whites. 

Pour the mixture into 3 greased and floured cake pans (9 inch works best).   Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes.  Let them stand and cool about 15 minutes before trying to remove from pans.

Frosting

Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Beat in the powdered sugar and add vanilla. Frost between the layers of the cake and the top and sides and sprinkle the 1 cup chopped pecans on top.

A good way to keep your cake plate clean when frosting a cake is to lay the first layer on pieces of wax paper slipped up under the edge all the way around.  Then as you frost it, it will catch any that comes off the edges.  I tend to be  a bit messy so this really helps me.

When you finish with the whole cake, carefully pull out each piece of wax paper and then just neaten up the edges.  See how clean the plate is?  It wouldn't look like this if I hadn't used the wax paper, believe me.  I am not that neat.

Italian Cream Cake!





7-Up Cake!

If you aren't familiar with the 7-Up Cake, it's just one of the best pound cakes ever that is made with...yes, you guessed right...7-Up.   It's the same principle as the  Coca Cola Cake, in that the carbonation in the soda is what makes the cake rise, but other than that, the two cakes are totally different.   The 7-Up Cake is a lightly lemon flavored pound cake.  Some folks leave the icing off and serve it just plain or with some fruit.  That's ok I guess, but I love it with the icing. That's just what makes it great for me.   This is the 7-Up cake made from scratch.  Some make it with a cake mix and I can go either way, but I know that some of you think cake mixes are the Devil himself, so I went with scratch.  I honestly don't think baking a cake with a cake mix is any easier than from scratch.   The results might be a little more consistent for some who don't bake often though. 

 Here is what you need for this cake:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup  shortening (can use vegetable oil)
3 cups sugar
5 eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. lemon extract
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup 7-Up (could use another lemon-lime soda)

Icing
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. lemon extract
4-5 Tbs. half and half or milk
1 Tbs. lemon zest (optional, if you like more of a lemon zing)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl cream together the butter, shortening and sugar with an electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time. 

In another bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.   Add 1 cup at a time to the wet mixture and beat just enough to mix well.  Don't over beat this or it will make the cake drier.   

Add in the vanilla and lemon extracts and fold in the 7-Up.

Pour batter into a large Bundt pan that has been greased and floured or sprayed with a nonstick spray for baking.  Don't forget the stem of the pan.   Place in the oven and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.   Check it at 1 hour.  A pick inserted in the center should come out clean.   It took about an hour and five minutes in my oven.  Don't over bake it.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan, until you can handle the pan safely.  Turn it out onto a cake plate and allow to cool before glazing.

To prepare the glaze, mix the powdered sugar with the other ingredients and stir together until smooth.

 Pour over the top of the cake and just let it run down the sides.  If you do not like as much icing as I do, you might not need to use all of this, but I like a nice thick glaze on mine.

Peanut Butter Cake!

I have had so many requests for a good peanut butter cake with peanut butter frosting, so we decided to make a good one.  This cake is sort of a merging of my mother's cake and my frosting.  This was not the original frosting used for this cake, but it is one of, if not the best peanut butter frosting I have ever eaten.   It's also very simple to make.   I like it because it never gets hard or too stiff and it spreads like a dream.  The cake itself is not overly sweet and the peanut butter is not overpowering, but it's moist and delicious.  Here is what you will need for this cake and the frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1  1/2 cups sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1  1/2 cups of milk

1 tsp. vanilla

Fluffy Peanut Butter Frosting

5 Tbs. butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup half and half or cream

dash of salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare two 8" cake pans by placing either parchment paper or wax paper in the bottom of each one and spraying them liberally with nonstick baking spray.  Cover the paper also.  Don't skip the step of lining the pans with the paper, because this cake will stick if you don't do that.

Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add in the peanut butter and beat until smooth. Blend in eggs and vanilla. 

In a separate bowl mix the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Start adding the flour and milk alternately to the mixture.  Blend just until it is all well incorporated.  Don't over mix this, because it will make your cake dry.  

When it is all mixed well, pour into the cake pans.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.   You can use 9" pans, but if you do, decrease the baking time by about 5 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for about an hour before removing from the pans.  Run a sharp knife around the edge of the pans and cakes should release with no problem. 

While the cakes are cooling prepare your whipped peanut butter frosting.  Cream the butter and peanut butter together with an electric mixer.  Add in the sugar, half and half or cream, vanilla and dash of salt. Beat until it is light and fluffy.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl to get it all blended.  Also, the dash of salt might sound odd, but don't leave it out, it really adds something to this.  Just a dash though, not much!

This makes enough to frost this cake, but if you are a big lover of lots of frosting, double the recipe and put more between the layers and on top than we did.

Peanut Butter Cake! 





Banana Split Cake!

This is actually a very old recipe.  I am not sure how old it is, but I know that my mother used to make it when I was still at home and that has been a while.

 I made this for my husband when we were just dating and he loved it.  He is the one who suggested I make this and put it on the blog.  I am sure he had his own selfish reasons for mentioning it, but it was a good suggestion.

This is a not actually a heavy dessert and there is no baking required so it's perfect for warmer weather.   I will caution that the recipe calls for two raw eggs and while raw eggs don't bother me if they are extremely fresh or pasteurized is even better, they do bother some people. 

Also, this is my disclaimer, pregnant or nursing women should not ingest raw eggs.   I solved this dilemma by using egg substitute.  It is not only pasteurized, it's homogenized, fat free and cholesterol free and it works perfectly in this.

IF YOU WANT TO SKIP THE EGGS COMPLETELY,   use a 3.4 oz. box of vanilla instant pudding made according to the package directions and use that instead of the eggs and confectioners sugar component.  This does change the texture of the recipe somewhat, but it's still good! 

Here is what you will need:

2 cups graham crackers

1 stick butter

4 bananas

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple drained

2 eggs or 2/3 cup egg substitute

2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 large frozen whipped topping

1 small jar maraschino cherries

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans 

Bananas, graham cracker crumbs, butter, eggs or egg substitute, whipped cream, crushed pineapple, strawberries, confectioners sugar, walnuts, maraschino cherries.

Melt 1 stick butter and mix with 2 cups graham cracker crumbs.  Pat into the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan.

Mix eggs or eggs substitute with confectioners sugar using an electric mixer.  Beat well and then pour over the graham cracker crust.

Drain the crushed pineapple well and layer it over the sugar/egg layer, next layer the sliced bananas and the sliced strawberries.  Next cover this with whipped topping.  Drain the maraschino cherries and place them on top either randomly or on what would be each serving.  Sprinkle walnuts on top.  Chill for about 2 hours before serving.

Banana Split Cake!