Banana Split Cake with Brownie Crust

Banana Split Cake with Brownie Crust

1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup strawberry spreadable fruit preserves

1 quart vanilla ice cream (4 cups), slightly softened
2 bananas, sliced
2 cups hot fudge topping, warmed
1 quart strawberry ice cream (4 cups), slightly softened
1 cup pineapple spreadable fruit preserves
Whipped cream
Chopped pecans
Maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease 13x9 inch baking pan. Melt butter and chocolate in medium saucepan over low heat; cool. Combine flour, baking powder and salt in small bowl; set aside. Beat eggs in large bowl until light. Add sugar, 2 tblsp at a time, beating until mixture is thick.

Add vanilla. Gradually add melted chocolate mixture to egg mixture. Stir in flour mixture just until blended. Spread evenly in pan. Bake 15-20 minutes or until edges slightly pull away from sides of pan. Cool completely. Drizzle strawberry preserves over cooled brownie. Top with vanilla ice cream, spreading until smooth. Arrange bananas over ice cream.

Drizzle with half of hot fudge topping. Cover; freeze until firm, 6 hours or overnight. Spread with strawberry ice cream. Drizzle with pineapple preserves. Cover; freeze until firm, 6 hours or overnight.

To Serve: Drizzle with remaining half of hot fudge topping. Garnish each serving with whipped cream, chopped pecans and a maraschino cherry.

Makes 20 servings