Banana Bread Cake treated like a layer cake had been dancing around my mind for a while now. For some reason I wanted to turn a well known homey treat into a birthday extravaganza. I figured dulce di lece would add a great flavor combination and that a layer of chocolate ganache would pull it all together in true birthday fashion. So I decided to make it for my grandfather’s 91st birthday party and I am happy to report that what I was envisioning in my mind turned out to the be a very decadent and surprising birthday surprise. I also shared it on Style Me Pretty Living, because no one should miss out on such decadence.
3 layer banana bread cake with dulce di lece and chocolate ganache
Ingredients
- DULCE DI LECE (from Donna Hay) *Feel free to use store-bought dulce di lece.
- 2 cans (about 395g) of sweetened condensed milk
- BANANA BREAD CAKE (makes 3 nine inch layers)
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature, plus more for pan
- 1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 3 cups unbleached flour
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cup mashed very ripe bananas (about 4 medium bananas)
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup chocolate chips
- CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 280g (10oz) good quality chocolate (I chose 70% Lindt)
- 400ml (14fl) oz double cream
Instructions
- DULCE DI LECE:
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Place the condensed milk in an ovenproof baking dish. Press a piece of parchment paper on top of the condensed milk. Cover baking dish tightly with aluminum foil. Place the baking dish in a larger deep-sided baking tray and fill with boiling water until it reaches two thirds of the way up the sides of the dish.
- Bake for 1 hour 30 minutes or until caramel in colour. Spoon the caramel into a bowl and whisk until smooth. Spoon into sterilized glass jars. Keep in the fridge for up to 1 month. Makes 2 cups.
- BANANA BREAD CAKE (3 layers):
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 3 nine (9) inch cake pans and add a piece of cut-to-size parchment paper at the bottom of each pan; set aside. In an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, and beat until combined.
- In a medium bowl, quickly mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the butter mixture, and stir until just combined. Add bananas, sour cream, and vanilla; mix to combine. Fold in chocolate chips, and pour into prepared pans.
- Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let rest in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool.
- Once cooled, place one layer of banana cake on plate. Smear with about 1/4 - 1/3 cup of dulce di lece. Add second layer. Top with more dulce di lece and cover with last layer of cake. Since the caramel is slippery, you might want to add a skewer to avoid layers sliding around. Avoid having caramel drip onto the sides of the cake since the chocolate ganache won't adhere very well.
- Once assembled, follow ganache instructions below and pour the icing onto the middle of the cake. Gently spread it over the top and sides of the cake and let it set. You might want use half of your chocolate for a thin coat and then add a second coat once the first coat sets. This will result in less waste of ganache and a thicker coating.
- CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
- Break the chocolate into pieces. Heat the cream until very hot but not boiling, remove from heat and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted, then cool a bit until you have coating consistency. Pour the icing on to the centre of the cake. Spread it gently over the top and down the sides, and leave to set.
