Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour well three 9-inch baking pans.
In a large bowl, beat oil, sugar and vanilla at medium speed on mixer until fluffy. Add lightly beaten eggs, a little at a time, and beat well.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Add to the mixture in the large bowl alternately with buttermilk. Add mashed bananas, undrained pineapple and pecans.
Pour batter into three pans evenly. Hold pans 2 or 3 inches above the counter and drop to get any bubbles out of the batter.
Bake 30 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in center of each layer to see if it comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes while the layers are still in the pans. Remove layers from pans and let cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth and creamy.
Beat in sugar, vanilla and lemon juice.
Apply frosting between each layer of the cake. Then frost the top and sides of the cake.
Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving so the frosting has time to get firm. Refrigerate any uneaten cake.

Tips for Success

Here are some tried and true suggestions to assure success when baking this cake:

Pecans: Make certain the pecans are fresh. They have a high fat content, so they spoil quickly. They can be kept in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for three months and in the freezer for six months. Don't forget to note the date on the container.
Bananas: Bananas become sweeter as they ripen and will taste much better in this recipe if they have no green showing. Very ripe bananas are also easier to mash and blend into the cake batter.
Shortening: You can replace oil with butter if desired. However, I recommend using oil if you prefer a very moist cake.
Frosting: Some people enjoy this cake without frosting for less sugar content, but most bakers prepare it with cream cheese frosting.
Garnishes: You can add whole maraschino cherries and pecan halves to the top of the cake which makes it very attractive. especially for a special occasion. Remember, presentation is important.