This is a fun cake to make for summer parties, it's easy but seems decadent and a great way to use up left over fruits. It's a banana and strawberry, pineapple, chocolate flavored layered cake. You take a basic yellow or white mix and add Strawberries, Banana, Pineapple and cocoa powder to make banana split inspired layers. You could also use canned fruits rather than fresh as a shortcut or in winter months.

Step 1: Ingredients

3 cups sliced strawberries
3 cups sliced pineapple
3 ripe bananas
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 boxes yellow or white cake mix
2 cans vanilla frosting
vegetable oil
2 eggs
Crisco or Pam
Flour

Equipment

Mixing bowls
3 - 8 or 9 inch round or square cake pans
Blender or Food Processor (unless using canned fruits)

Step 2: Prepare Fruits

Peel your 3 ripe bananas into a bowl, and mash with a fork. A ripe or black banana will have the most flavor and be easiest to mash and mix into the cake. I have a freezer full of unused bananas just waiting to be baked, but you could freeze your bananas overnight and thaw them before starting to speed up the process.

In a separate bowl, cut up about a dozen strawberries (enough to have roughly 3 cups) lightly blend or food process. They can be chunky, you don't want to complete puree them. Just a minute in the blender should do.

In a separate bowl, cut your pineapple into roughly 3 cups worth and blend, same as with the strawberries we do not want to juice them just mash them up a bit.

*If you are using crushed canned Pineapple or strawberries just drain the juice out, not need to blend them further.

Step 3: Prepare Cake

Prepare your cake as the box instructs. I used 2 boxes to make sure I would have 3 layers.

* The ripe bananas can replace some (maybe all) of the eggs. According to my boxes I needed 6 eggs; I only used 2, next time I may skipping the eggs and make this a vegan recipe.

Mix your cake according to the box instructions (minus some eggs). Pour in your mashed banana and mix all together.

Now divide your banana cake into 3 separate bowls.

Step 4: Making the Layers

Of your bowl of Pineapple spoon out 2 tablespoons (we will use this later for an icing layer)

Pour the rest if the Pineapple into one of your cake bowls and mix together.

Of your Strawberries spoon out 2 tablespoons for icing.

Pour the rest into your second cake mix bowl.

The chocolate layer- Spoon in about 4 tablespoons of cocoa powder (more or less depend on how chocolaty you want) and mix together.

Spray each baking pan generously with pam or brush with Crisco and sprinkle with flour.

Pour each of these into a separate baking pan and bake according to the cake instructions (because of the juice in the fruits the bake time may be longer, my cake took about 30-35 minutes).

Step 5: Prepare the Icing

Take 1 can of icing divide it into 3 bowls.

Put your Pineapple in 1 bowl, mix together with spoon or knife.

Mix the strawberries in the second bowl of icing.

Mix a tablespoon (more or less to taste) of cocoa powder in the last bowl.

Step 6: Layer and Ice Cake

When the cake is done baking take a knife and go around the edges to loosen them, then allow it to cool.

When the cakes are cool flip the strawberry layer onto a plate, and ice the top with the strawberry icing.

Put the chocolate layer on top of this and ice the top with chocolate icing.

Finally, put the Pineapple layer and frost the top of your cake with Pineapple icing.

I bought an extra icing to have plenty for around the sides, you may not need both cans depending on how heavy you want each layer to be.

Step 7: Decorate and Enjoy

Ice the sides with whatever Icing you have left. You could also sprinkle chopped nuts and chocolate sauce or sliced chocolate for a nice presentation.

Because of the fruit I keep this cake refrigerated.

The trickiest part of this is layering the cake without it breaking, I usually end up with at least one broken layer and use icing as a glue, but if you coat your pans with plenty of flour and are patient you should be ok. Good luck!! I hope you enjoy my Instructable!! It's my first one.