Banana Layer Cake

3 Cups All-purpose flour
1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
3/4 Cup Unsalted butter, Room temperature
2 1/4 Cups Granulated sugar
3 Each Eggs, Well beaten
5 Each Ripe bananas, Mashed
1/4 Cup Buttermilk
1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla, Extract
1 Cup Pecans, Finely chopped

Frosting and filling
1/2 Cup Mashed bananas
2 Teaspoons Fresh lemon juice
1/2 Cup Unsalted butter, Room temperature
1 Pound Confectioners' sugar
1 Teaspoon Vanilla extract
3 Each Bananas, Sliced thin

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 3 nine inch cake pans. Sift together the flour and baking soda, and set aside. Put the butter and sugar and a large mixing bowl and cream together until smooth. Slowly pour in the eggs, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the bananas.

2. Add the dry ingredients into the buttermilk alternately, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract and pecans. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until the tops are brown and the edges pull away from the pans, or a cake tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for five to ten minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

3. Make the frosting. In a small bowl, mix the mash bananas and the lemon juice together and set aside. In another bowl, with an electric mixer cream together the butter and the sugar. Add the mash bananas, blending well. Stir in the vanilla extract. To assemble, spread a layer of icing on one of the cake rounds, then top with a layer of sliced bananas. Place the second cake layer on top of the bananas and repeat with more icing, then bananas. After placing the third layer on top, spread the remaining icing over the sides and top of the cake.