Bananas foster cake

Bananas foster cake

Banana cake

Adapted from here

1 1/2 -2 C very ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp lemon juice

3 C flour

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 C butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4 C sugar (down from 2 1/8)

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 C buttermilk (1.5 Tbs vinegar in 1 1/2 C milk)

1. Line a 9x13 cm dish or 10 inch cake tin with baking paper so that it is overhanging on two sides and preheat the oven to 135C/275F. 
2. Mix mashed bananas and lemon juice and set aside. 
3. Mix flour, baking soda, and salt. 
4. Cream butter/margarine and sugar until light and fluffy, then beat in eggs, one at a time. 
5. Stir in vanilla, then beat in the flour mixture alternatively with milk, starting and ending with flour (3x flour additions, 2 x buttermilk additions). 
6. Stir in the bananas, then pour batter into the pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, ~1 hour. 
7. Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then wrap the base of the cake pan in a kitchen towel and place in the freezer for 45 minutes. This makes the cake especially moist. 
8. Once completely cook, remove cake from freezer and slice into two layers. 

Notes: Cake can be baked at 175C without a problem, just reduce the baking time to 35-45 minutes and check more frequently. 

Buttered rum glaze

6 Tbs brown sugar

1 Tbs honey

1 Tbs butter

2 Tbs dark rum

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Heat brown sugar, syrup and 3 Tbs water in a small saucepan over medium heat, until all the sugar has dissolved. Stir in additional ingredients and whisk until cinnamon is incorporated. 

Rum pastry cream

Adapted from European Tarts 

1 1/2 tsp gelatin

1 Tbs water

1 1/2 C milk

6 egg yolks

1/3 C sugar (down from 3/4 C)

1/3 C flour

3 Tbs dark rum

1 tsp vanilla paste

1 C heavy cream

1. Sprinkle gelatine over water and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
2. Heat milk in a saucepan over medium/high until it is just below boiling point.
3. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a jug, then add the flour and continue to whisk. While still whisking, gradually pour in the hot milk, then transfer the mixture back to the milk saucepan and stir constantly. Once very thick (can bring to the boil for one minute), remove from the heat and whisk in the rum and vanilla. Tear in the gelatine and stir until smooth. Transfer pastry cream to a cool container and cover the surface with plastic wrap. Refrigerate until cool. 
4. Whip cream to medium peaks, then fold 1/3 into custard. Fold in the rest, then set aside until required. 

Cream cheese frosting

250g cream cheese, ROOM TEMPERATURE

2 Tbs butter, RT

2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3-5 heaped Tbs powdered sugar

1. Beat cream cheese and butter on medium until soft and fluffy, then add remaining ingredients (starting with 3 Tbs powdered sugar) and mix on low until combined. Increase speed to med/high and beat for an additional minute. 

Caramelised bananas 

3 just-underripe bananas

couple of Tbs sugar

couple of Tbs butter

1. Heat butter in a small saucepan over med until bubbling. 
2. Slice bananas into 3/4 inch rounds and dip each cut side in the sugar. Place one cut side down in the saucepan and cook until golden. Flip bananas and continue to cook for a couple of minuets, until also golden. 
3. Drain and cool completely on a rack. 

Assembly:

1. Brush the base cake layer generously with glaze, then scoop on the pastry cream and smooth.
2. Place on the other cake layer and decorate the outside with swirls of cream cheese frosting (make a bit of a barrier to hold in the bananas. 
3. Once cool, add the bananas to the centre of the cake.