- 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix (not pudding in the mix variety)
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 cup prepared MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee, cooled
- 4 medium ripe bananas, mashed
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup water
- 1 teaspoon MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee
- 2 tablespoons milk, warmed
- 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
- 3 (1 ounce) squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate, melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup PLANTERS Chopped Pecans
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Cover bottoms of pans with wax paper; set aside.
- Combine cake mix and cocoa powder in large bowl. Add the prepared coffee, bananas, eggs and water; beat with electric mixer on low speed 30 sec., stopping frequently to scrape bottom and side of bowl. Beat on medium speed 2 min.; pour evenly into prepared pans.
- Bake 30 to 35 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Immediately remove wax paper. Cool cake layers completely.
- Dissolve 1 tsp. instant coffee in the warm milk. Beat cream cheese with electric mixer on medium speed until creamy. Add milk mixture; beat 2 min. Blend in melted chocolate. Add powdered sugar; beat until light and fluffy. Use to fill and frost cooled cake layers. Immediately press pecans into frosting on side of cake. Garnish with chocolate curls, if desired.