Banana Yogurt Cake

CAKE
3/4 c Butter
1 1/2 c Sugar
2 Eggs
1 c Mashed ripe banana
2 c Cake flour, sifted
1 ts Baking powder
1 ts Baking soda
1/2 ts Salt
8 oz Banana flavored yogurt
1/2 c Pecans, chopped
1 ts Vanilla extract
1 c Flaked coconut

Cream butter in a large mixing bowl at medium speed of an electric
mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add
banana; beat well. Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a
medium bowl. Add flour mixture to cream mixture alternately with
yogurt, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix after each
addition. Stir in pecans and vanilla. Pour batter into 2 greased and
floured 9″ round cake pans. Sprinkle 1/2 c coconut evenly over batter
in each cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Let cake
layers cool in pans for 10 minutes. Carefully remove cake layers from
pans and let cool completely on wire racks. Place one cake layer,
coconut side down, on a serving plate. Brush with Banana Flavored
Syrup on top. Spread top cake layer with Creamy Nut Filling. Top
remaining layer coconut side up. Spread White Snow Frosting on sides
and 1″ around top edge of cake, leaving center unfrosted. BANANA
FLAVORED SYRUP: Combine water and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a
boil and let simmer until sugar dissolves. Cool and add creme de
banana. CREAMY NUT FILLING: Combine sugar, flour, salt, half-and-half
and butter in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring
constantly, until mixture is thick and creamy. Remove saucepan from
heat, and stir in chopped pecans and vanilla. Cool completely. WHITE
SNOW FROSTING: Combine shortening, butter, egg white and extracts in
a medium mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until
blended. Gradually add sifted sugar to cream mixture, beating at
medium speed until frosting reaches spreading consistency.

Yields
1 Cake