Crust
Crush vanilla wafers and mix with one stick of melted butter. Spread in bottom of a 9 x 13 pan and bake at 400°F for 5 minutes. Let cool.
Filling
Mix cream cheese and sugar and spread on top of crust.
Add one layer of bananas and another layer of pineapple then add another layer of bananas and another layer of pineapple.
Topping
Beat whipping cream and sugar in a chilled metal mixing bowl until a stiff peak forms.
Top cake with whipped cream, pecan pieces and maraschino cherries.
NOTES
We prefer heavy whipping cream turned into homemade whipped cream over Cool Whip as it tastes more like vanilla ice cream in a banana split.
Crush vanilla wafers by putting 5-10 cookies in a gallon-sized bag and crush with a rolling pin. Repeat until you have 2 1/2 cups.
Make the dish in stages if necessary. The crust can be made and covered until the other layers are ready.
Use fresh, ripe bananas and avoid bananas that have already started browning.
