I start by preheating my oven to 350°F (175°C). Then I grease two 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper to prevent sticking.

In a large bowl, I cream the butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar until fluffy. I beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the mashed bananas, vanilla, and buttermilk.

In another bowl, I whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. I slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Then I gently fold in the chopped toasted pecans.

I pour the batter evenly into the pans and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. After baking, I let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool completely.

While the cakes cool, I melt brown sugar and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. I stir in the heavy cream and let it simmer for 3–4 minutes. Once slightly thickened, I remove it from heat and stir in the vanilla and salt. I let it cool to room temperature.

Using my hand mixer, I beat softened butter until smooth. Then I add the powdered sugar gradually, followed by cream and the cooled caramel. The frosting becomes creamy and rich with a deep caramel flavor.

I place one cake layer on a plate and spread a generous amount of frosting on top. Then I add the second layer and frost the entire cake. I drizzle extra caramel sauce on top and garnish with chopped pecans.