Cooking : Banana Nut Cake

Ingredients
1 teaspoon baking soda
4 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup chopped pecans
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Pecan halves (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
Separate the eggs and set aside.
Stir the baking soda into the buttermilk. Cream 1/2 cup of the butter or margarine with the white sugar. Add the egg yolks, and vanilla, beating well. Add flour alternately with the mashed bananas. Stir in the buttermilk mixture.
Beat the egg whites until stiff. Stir the pecans into the cake batter then fold in the egg whites. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 25 minutes or until cakes test done. Let cakes cool in pans.
To Make Icing: Cream 3 tablespoons butter or margarine with the confectioners' sugar. Stir in the heavy cream until well blended. Spread icing on to cooled cake layers. Top with pecan halves if desired.